More Than a Feeling
by NJ Coffee Queen
Summary: New friendships and old are set in motion on Scorpius Malfoy's first day of school.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing. I hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 1  
Scorpius Malfoy dug his heels in as he and his father approached the school house. The little boy, just four years old, had complained and pleaded all the way from their house, begging his father not to make him go to school.

"You'll love it," Draco Malfoy told him, mustering up as much enthusiasm as he could. "You'll make new friends and learn really interesting things. School is so much fun. I promise."

"But what if it's not?" the little boy asked as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth.

Draco stopped walking and crouched down so he and his son were eye level. "I think you'll like it, but I have a little something planned in case the day isn't a good one," he promised. "But I need you to give today a try. No coming home to tell me that you hated it just so you can see what the surprise is."

Scorpius pouted, but agreed. "Daddy, what if none of the other kids like me?" he wondered.

"Who wouldn't like you?" Draco wondered. "I think you're the coolest kid ever. The other kids will see that too."

The small blond's mouth hung open in retort, but once they reached the school, a little brown haired girl introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Rosie. I like your hair," she said to him. "It's yellow like butter. Do you like butter?"

Draco covered up a laugh as his son stared up at him for guidance. "He loves it," Draco told her. "Puts it on everything. Including his bedroom ceiling. This is Scorpius. Scor, say hi to Rosie."

From his hiding place behind his father's leg, Scorpius mumbled a shy, "Hi."

After successfully prying the little boy from his leg, Draco bent down to their height. "Do you like your school, Rosie?" he asked. The tiny brunette nodded vigorously. "It's Scorpius's first day and I think he's a little nervous. Do you think maybe you could help him out a bit?"

Rosie nodded, but with less enthusiasm. Then she turned toward the building as a warning bell rang. All around them, other small children lined up to be led inside. "Maybe we'll get the same teacher," she commented. "The teachers here are really, really nice."

Draco loosened his hold on his son's hand and placed him in line behind Rosie. "Looks like you've made a friend already," he whispered. "Try to have some fun today."

"Will you come back?" Scorpius asked.

"Of course I will," Draco promised. He waited until the students were brought inside and the doors closed behind him. The other parents left, going their separate ways to begin the day. But Draco stayed behind, staring at the schoolhouse, preparing himself for the moment his son made his escape. But when the door opened, the escapee wasn't who he expected. "Granger?"

Hermione Granger's head snapped up at the sound of her name. "Malfoy?" she asked, her tone just as curious as his. "What are you doing here?"

Draco smiled sadly. "Just dropped off my son for his first day of school," he replied. "Do you teach here?"

She nodded, her brown curls bobbing with the movement. "I have the four and five year olds," she told him.

He found himself breathing a sigh of relief. His son was in good hands. Though he and Hermione Granger had a long history of animosity, he knew she wouldn't hold his child accountable for his past mistakes. She was also the brightest witch the wizarding world had seen in centuries. Scorpius Malfoy would receive the best education possible.

"I have your son," she told him. "Well, he's on my roster. I haven't actually met the class yet. The headmaster is addressing everyone right now."

"I thought you worked for the Ministry," he said as if he'd heard nothing else.

Once again she nodded. "I used to," she replied. "Um, I should get back inside. The orientation doesn't last very long, so I should get to my classroom."

"Right, yeah," Draco mumbled. Hermione turned back to the door, ready to open it when he stopped her. "I just...well, Scor's a bit nervous. Could you keep an eye on him? Just make sure he's okay? He's never been away from me for this long, and ya know, I'm just worried. And rambling. So, okay, I'm gonna go now."

Hermione chuckled, pleased by the change in his behavior. "I'll take good care of Scorpius," she promised. "If he's anything like you were, he'll be a full time job."

Draco shook his head. "No, he's so much better than I was," he replied. "He's the greatest kid in the world. A bit shy, but really sweet."

"He's not going to call the other children 'mudblood' is he?" she inquired, arms crossed over her chest.

"He doesn't know that word," Draco promised. "It's verboten in the Malfoy house. Shocking, eh?"

"A bit," she conceded. "I'll see you later, Malfoy. You'll be picking him up, right?"

Draco nodded and turned away from the school. She watched him go before returning to her classroom. With just seconds to spare, she made it back before her new group of students. Scorpius Malfoy was easy to spot in the small group. Pale blond hair and gray eyes, he was the spitting image of his father. He quietly took a seat up front when she allowed them to choose a desk. Beside him sat Rose.

Hermione smiled as she knelt down beside the little girl's desk. "Did you make a new friend already?" she asked her.

Rose nodded, a wide smile stretching from ear to ear. "Uh-huh, and he's nice," she replied. "He doesn't talk though."

The teacher glanced at the little boy to her right. "I think he's just a little nervous about his first day," she whispered. "Maybe you could do me a favor and help him out a bit today."

Rose nodded and began to unpack her art supplies. "We get to color?" Scorpius asked, glancing nervously at Miss Hermione.

"All the time," Rose replied, her enthusiasm infectious. "My mu...Miss Hermione likes coloring."

"Is she nice?" he asked her, receiving a sheet of paper from Hermione. They were instructed to write their names and then list the numbers from one to twenty.

Rose nodded and pulled out a purple crayon. "Always," she promised. "You'll like her."


	2. Chapter 2

So, the hurricane is supposed to hit and be awful and there was talk of power outages, so I thought I'd post the next chapter while the weather is still calm.

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Chapter 2  
"Miss Mini let us color and I writed my name, Daddy!" Scorpius announced, launching himself into his father's arms when he saw him outside of school. "And, Daddy, you know Rosie, right? Well, her mummy is Miss Mini. Can you believe that?"

Draco tried to school his shock and pasted a smile on his face. "No, I can't," he replied. "So, you liked it? School was fun? You want to go back tomorrow?"

The little boy's smile grew as he nodded his head. "Miss Mini said I have the best printing in the whole class," he stated. "Isn't that great, Daddy?"

Smiling, he held his son close and kissed his round cheek. "I think it's greater than great," he replied. "And, as a treat, I think we should have ice cream for dinner. I bought the blue kind with that pink swirl that you like. Just don't let your grandmother know."

But Scorpius had paid no attention as he spotted his teacher near the front doors. "Miss Mini! Miss Mini!" he called out, catching her attention. "Go, Daddy. Wanna see Miss Mini."

Draco unhappily obliged. Their conversation earlier that morning had been tense and awkward, and he didn't want a repeat of it. But, it seemed, he was merely a prop to hold Scorpius up to her eye level. Neither one addressed him and he offered nothing to their conversation about favorite colors and what she planned to teach him tomorrow.

"You have a good little boy, Mr. Malfoy," she informed him as another parent approached to say goodbye to her. "I'm looking forward to seeing him again tomorrow."

Draco nodded and turned to leave. "Is that Scor's daddy?" he heard Rosie ask.

Then he slowed his pace to hear Hermione's answer. "Yeah, he is, baby," she replied. There was something wistful, almost hopeful in her voice. And it set Draco's nerves on edge.

There had been a brief time when the two had set aside their differences and attempted a friendship. Both were engaged at the time; Draco to Astoria Greengrass and Hermione to Ron Weasley. The night before her wedding was the last time they spoke. She ended their relationship and he never heard from her again. If she wanted nothing to do with him, then he would give her the same treatment.

Scorpius continued to regale him with the events of his day, but Draco only heard bits and pieces. "Daddy, pay some tension to me," the little boy chastised, turning his father's face towards his.

Draco chuckled. "Attention," he corrected. "Sorry, buddy. What were you telling me?"

The little boy huffed impatiently, mad that he needed to repeat himself. "I said can Rosie come play with me after school someday."

Draco shrugged. "It's up to her mum," he answered. "If she's okay with it, then it's fine with me. You can ask her tomorrow at school."

Back at the schoolhouse, Hermione finished her preparations for the next day and readied herself and her daughter to go home. Rose sat at her desk, a curtain of brown curls shielding her as her colored. "Ready to go home, sweetheart?" she asked.

Rose lifted her head and began to pack up her crayons. "Mummy, look. I drew a picture of Scor," she said as her mother rounded her desk to help her. "Does it look good?"

"Oh yeah, Rosie, it looks amazing," Hermione replied. "You'll be a wonderful artist someday."

"Can I give it to him tomorrow? Do you think he'll like it?" Rose asked hopefully.

"I bet he'll love it," she assured her as she lifted the little girl up in her arms. "So, I think it was really nice of you to play with him today."

The little girl wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "I like him, Mummy," she told her. "Do you think his daddy is nice? He acted nice."

Despite the brevity of their interaction, she had to admit he seemed like a wonderful, loving father. Draco Malfoy was a far cry from the sniveling, teasing, cowardly little boy she had known in school. They had been friends once, but a mistake one night just days before her wedding ended it.

"Yeah, Rosie, his daddy is very nice," she replied.

"We played house during snack time, and I made him be the daddy and I was the mummy," Rose informed her as they neared their flat. "Scorpius said his mummy had to go away. Did she go to the same place as my daddy."

Hermione kicked the front door open with more force than necessary. It was rare that her daughter asked about her father, and Hermione had yet to come up with a better explanation than he had to go away. Rose didn't even know his name.

"Maybe," was her mumbled reply. Once inside their apartment, Hermione put the little girl down and told her to change out of her school clothes. She retreated to the kitchen to find something to make for dinner when an owl appeared at her window. She approached slowly, wary of the unfamiliar bird. It flew away once she was near enough to accept the letter.

Dear Hermione,

Scorpius has not shut up about you and your daughter since we left the schoolhouse. He's absolutely enamored with Rosie. Imagine - our kids wanting to be friends. Anyhow, he asked if he could have her over to play one of these days. We just left the Manor about a year ago, so there's no need to worry about dark artifacts or bigoted old men. I just wanted to give you the heads up so you're not blindsided by our kids.

-Draco

Hermione read the note twice before tossing it in the rubbish bin. She hadn't lied when she said she enjoyed having Scorpius in her class, but Draco unnerved her. Feelings of regret flooded her, turning her stomach, and she needed to think of anything else but him. Because one night with Draco Malfoy had ruined her. And she feared that history just might repeat itself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
"Mother, what do you know about Hermione Granger?" Draco inquired. She often came over to his house to tuck her grandson in. It had been one of her favorite activities when her boys still lived with her, and Scorpius hated that she could only come once in awhile. But she came that night after they had finished their dinner. Scorpius told her about his first day and the new friend he'd made while she helped him bathe.

"There's not much to be known," she replied as she folded a basket of clean laundry. "After her engagement was announced, there was no more news. No wedding announcement or birth announcement. Honestly, I thought she'd left the country until Scorpius mentioned that she was his teacher."

He shrugged. "Maybe she did, but she's been back at least a year," he told her. "Her daughter's a year older than Scor, so she went to that school last year as well."

"Why are you suddenly interested in Hermione Granger?" his mother wondered. "Is it just because she's your son's teacher?"

She knew nothing of their brief friendship, and he had intended to keep it that way. Decades of prejudice couldn't be wiped out in only a few years, and despite Narcissa's effort to overcome her bigoted upbringing, she still refused to fraternize with those of a lesser blood status.

"Yeah, that's all it is," he promised.

Narcissa nodded, though she seemed not to believe him. Her son was stubborn, but she had seen him overcome his upbringing. When he had found out that his wife was pregnant, he made it a point to sit his parents down and explain to them that his child would not be brought up to believe himself above those with "lesser" blood statuses. Draco was not the son she had raised, and for that she was thankful.

"He likes her," she commented. "His teacher."

Draco smiled. "He likes the teacher's daughter too," he added with a chuckle. "He hasn't always had other kids to play with, and he just immediately took to Rose like he'd known her his whole life. It was weird. I mean, I'm glad that he made a friend. It's just weird."

"That he picked a muggleborn's daughter?" Narcissa wondered. "Or that he picked the daughter of the girl you tortured for seven years?"

He shook his head. "Neither," he replied, not wanting to share his secret former friendship with his mother. "I just meant that it's odd how quickly he came out of his shell. Rose seemed good at helping him feel comfortable though. She's like her mother in that way - talks and talks and talks until you can't remember why you were nervous in the first place."

Narcissa smiled. "That's what he needed," she pointed out. "So, if your son and her daughter become friendlier, do you think you'll be able to put your past behind you?"

It was a different past that he would need to put behind him. It was a past filled with clandestine meetings and secret, stolen kisses. And then it ended. Draco and Astoria married, and a year later welcomed Scorpius; fulfilling their betrothal contract. It was an unhappy marriage, and two years after saying "I do" they divorced. Astoria quickly started a new family with Theodore Nott, leaving Scorpius to Draco's custody.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "We have quite a past to overcome."

Narcissa rose from the sofa to leave for the night. Standing in front of the fireplace, she clutched a handful of floo powder. But she stopped and turned before tossing it in. "You've overcome it before," she stated, showing that she clearly knew more than he thought. "You can do it again."

Hermione always arrived at work earlier than the other teachers. With a half-asleep Rose in tow, she approached the school to find that she wasn't the first one there. "Scorpius told me you start at seven in the morning on the second day," Draco stated, yawning behind his hand. "I have a feeling my kid lied to me."

She laughed as they approached the Malfoys. "I used to do the same thing when I was his age," she recalled. "Of course my parents were smart enough to figure out that I wasn't telling the truth."

"Words hurt, Granger," he reminded her.

After opening the door, she ushered the kids in first. "I was only teasing," she assured him. "We both know you're smart. Not as smart as me, but still pretty intelligent."

"Mummy, Scor and me want to race," Rose requested.

"Scor and I," she corrected. "And go ahead."

The younger pair took off down the hallway, giggles and sneakers on linoleum flooring were the only sounds they heard. Draco chuckled as they rounded a corner and Rose declared that she would win. "She's a pretty great kid," he commented. "Scorpius tends to be a bit more closed off. He didn't say his first word until he was two and a half. I thought there was something wrong with him. He sat up and crawled and took his first steps when he was supposed to, but talking didn't seem to interest him."

"Rose was born talking," Hermione said. "She's my daughter though, so I guess we shouldn't expect any less."

Draco shrugged. "Weasley always seemed pretty quiet," he pointed out.

There was a nervous lilt to her voice as she mumbled, "Yeah, he was."

"Sorry, did I bring up something you don't want to talk about?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head and plastered a friendly smile on her face. "No. I um, this is my classroom here, and I should get ready for the day," she replied. "I'll watch Scor if you need to go."

Draco nodded, but held onto her arm when she tried to step away. "Did you get my note?" he asked. "The one I sent you last night."

She swallowed and nodded her head before glancing down at the hand that kept her in place. "Yeah, it would be fine," she told him. "Malfoy, I-"

"Well, I was wondering if instead of her coming over to our house, you might be able to take him today," he said, cutting her off. "I have this meeting with the Board of Directors. My father left his company to me in his will. I didn't even know what they did until he died. Imagine that shock your first day. Anyway, so I have this meeting and they tend to run long. Most of the time my mother watches him if I'm not home, but she has a charity fundraiser something or other tonight."

"And you decided to try to find a babysitter the day of?" she asked. "You don't like to give yourself a lot of time for a Plan B, do you."

He shot her an amused smile. "Nope," he replied. "So, what do you say? Make two little kids really happy and help out an old friend?"

Hermione turned to find Rose and Scorpius listening to their conversation. Two little face beamed up at her with hopeful, pleading eyes. "How can I say no to those faces," she said, smiling. "Yeah, I'll watch him."


	4. Chapter 4

And the weather saga continues! It's snowing and raining here, and apparently we're supposed to get 40mph winds. I'm gonna get blown to Staten Island tonight.

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Chapter 4  
"Miss Mini," Scorpius said, poking his head into the kitchen, "is my daddy coming back?"

Hermione dried her hands on a dish towel and lowered the heat under a pot of water boiling on the stove. "Of course he is, sweetheart," she assured him. "He said he would come right here after his meeting. You and Rose doing okay? Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

"Rosie said you're making sketti. I like sketti," he told her. "Daddy doesn't make good sketti, but sometimes, at my gramma's house, we has sketti. It's good there."

"I hope it's just as good here," she replied. "How about you and Rose put away the toys and wash your hands. Supper should be ready by then."

She had just put the pasta in when she heard a knock on the front door. After setting the timer, she opened the door. "Oh, Malfoy," she said, surprised by his early arrival. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

"Meeting ended early," he replied tiredly. "Is Scor ready to go?"

"No," she said. "We were just about to have dinner."

He nodded and shut his eyes briefly. "Okay, um, floo call me when you're done and I'll come back for him," he instructed.

"Have you eaten?" she asked as he began to walk away. He stopped and turned back to look at her. "It's just...I always make too much, and we wind up eating the same stuff for three days. Don't get me wrong, it's great not having to cook for a few days. But Rose gets mad when I serve the same thing three days in a row."

Draco smirked. "Are you asking me in for dinner?"

She stepped away from the door and shrugged. "Malfoy, do you want to stay for dinner?" she asked.

"Well, I guess," he said with mock uncertainty.

The bedroom door down the hall opened and two sets of little feet came running. "Daddy!" Scorpius cried excitedly. He was lifted into his father's arms and held close. "Do we have to go home, Daddy?" There was worry in his voice as he asked his question.

"No, buddy. Miss Hermione asked me to stay," Draco replied, shutting the door with his foot.

Rose, who stood a few feet away, squealed in delight. Hermione turned to her, surprised by her outburst, and laughed. "I'm gonna check on dinner. Malfoy, would you mind helping the kids set the table?"

He set his son back on his feet and turned a concerned look to her. "You're gonna let the kids use sharp objects?"

"It's spaghetti. It requires a fork," she pointed out. "And Rose knows which ones she's supposed to use. You do plates and glasses, she'll do forks, and Scor can put out the napkins. I'll bring the adult forks over with the food."

Minutes later, they were seated at the table and plates were filled. Scorpius and Rose told Draco about their school day, bemoaning the homework assignment Hermione had given. "They have to write their full name three times," she stated. "That's hardly a difficult assignment."

"Did you guys do it?" Draco asked, shooting a pointed look at his son.

Scorpius looked down and mumbled, "No."

Draco set his fork aside. "Why not?" he asked.

"We were busy," Rose informed him as she twirled a clump of spaghetti around her fork.

"Doing what?"

Rose shrugged. "Playing," she stated. "Mummy, can I have more sauce?"

Hermione ladled a little more tomato sauce on top of her noodles. "You're okay with them not doing their work?" Draco inquired, tossing his napkin onto his half-eaten plate of food.

"He came over to play," Hermione said defensively. "Let them play. After dinner they can do their work while you help me clean up."

Pulling his wand from his shirtsleeve, he magicked his plate and the pots into the kitchen. They heard the scraping of metal against the plate then the running water as it rinsed it. "There, I helped," he declared.

"What a fine example you set for your son," she remarked sarcastically.

"Guys, why don't you go to Rosie's room and get started on your assignment," Draco suggested, rising from his seat to clean off the rest of the table. Neither child was finished eating, but they quietly complied. He stalked into the kitchen, Hermione on his heels. "Don't tell me how to raise my kid," he told her, turning the water on high to drown out their voices.

Hermione stopped short, nearly dropping the plate in her hand. "I wasn't," she replied. "You left him in my care. I did what I thought was right. It's not like I tell Rose she doesn't have to do her homework because she's got an in with the teacher. She does her work, and I don't see anything wrong with just once letting her put it off for a couple of hours. Follow your own advice, Malfoy, and don't tell _me_ how to raise my child."

"Maybe this was a bad idea," he muttered as he scraped Scorpius's plate over the trash can. "Letting them be friends."

"Why? Because we can't get along?" she wondered as she rinsed the plates.

He cleaned off the last plate and handed it to her. "We used to," he reminded her. "If you weren't teaching my son this year, would we have ever spoken again?"

Hermione shrugged and began to transfer the leftovers into containers. She_ hadn't_ intended to see him ever again. They had walked away from one another six years ago, and she believed that to be the end. "I don't know," she mumbled. "Honestly, I didn't think you'd want to talk to me again."

"At the time, I didn't," he admitted. "We were friends. We were...more than friends. And you just up and decided I wasn't worth being your friend anymore."

She shut off the water and turned to him. "It wasn't like that," she said. "I got scared. We were with other people, Draco. What we did, it wasn't right. And you and Astoria were already married."

"I didn't regret it," he confessed, stepping closer to her. "I never loved Astoria."

"And you loved me?" she wondered incredulously.

He shook his head. "I cared about you," he told her. "It wasn't love though. Can I ask you something?"

Hermione nodded. "What is it?"

"Why am I still calling you Granger?" he asked. "Why isn't it Weasley?"

She shrugged and turned back to the dishes in the sink. "Because I'm not married to a Weasley."

"Were you ever?"

Sighing, she looked up at him. "No."


	5. Chapter 5

Happy Friday!

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Chapter 5  
Draco paced outside of the schoolhouse waiting for his son. It had been days since he'd talked to Hermione. He had asked his mother to pick up Scorpius, but he knew he would have to see her eventually.

The bombshell she had dropped on him after dinner plagued him. She was supposed to have gotten married. She left him to get married. And then she didn't. Hermione Granger did nothing without a good reason. But what was her good reason for not marrying the man she claimed to love more than anyone else? Ron Weasley was her soulmate, the reason she got out of bed in the morning, or so she said. If he were the center of her universe, why didn't she marry him?

The doors opened and Hermione led her class outside. She caught his eye and moved back inside to let the children out first. Scorpius was the second to last to leave, and he pulled Hermione along with him while Rose held her other hand. Hermione tried to protest, but one look from Scorpius, with his pleading eyes and sweet smile, had her following the pair. She wore a scowl as they led her to Draco and crossed her arms over her chest when the children let her go.

"Afternoon, Mr. Malfoy," she greeted him. He offered a mere nod in reply. "Um, it might interest you to know that Scorpius received a perfect score for his numbers and letters assignment."

"Good job, buddy," he said, ruffling his son's hair. "How'd you do, Rosie?"

The little girl beamed proudly, reminding him of her mother. "One hundred percent," she stated. "Scor and I had the best grade in the whole class."

"That's fantastic," he replied with a wide smile. "I'm proud of you guys."

"Can we get ice cream and celebrate, Daddy?" Scorpius asked. "And bring Rosie and Miss Mini, too?"

Draco's eyes rose from his son to the woman he had once called an enemy and a friend. Her brown eyes widened, pleading with him to say no. "Well," he replied, "it's up to Rosie's mum if she can go. Miss Hermione might be busy too."

Rose shook her head. "No, she's not," she insisted. "Mummy, please can we have ice cream too?"

"Mr. Malfoy and I need to speak privately for a minute," Hermione stated. "How about the two of you sit on the steps and wait for us?"

They watched the kids walk back to the school before Draco spoke. "How've you been?" he asked.

"Honestly, I'm a bit concerned," she answered.

Blond eyebrows knit together. "About what?"

Hermione glanced behind her to where Rose and Scorpius sat together. "Them," she replied.

"There's nothing wrong with them," Draco stated, copying her posture. "Do you not want them to be friends? Is that where your concern is coming from?"

"I'm fine with them being friends. Happy, in fact," she said, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Maybe I'm being selfish, I don't know. Rose asked me last night why you and I can't be friends like her and Scor."

"There was a time we knew how to be friends," he pointed out.

Hermione laughed mirthlessly. "No, we knew how to cheat on our partners," she retorted.

A scowl marred his features. "We did more than that," he stated. She didn't answer, but merely turned away from him to keep on eye on Rose and Scorpius. Maybe that was all they had done together. Perhaps their friendship had all been in his mind. "Fine, that's all we did. But at least we got along when we were doing it."

"No," she decided. "I think we were friends. But without the illicit activities, all we do is fight. And this isn't the place to discuss such things either."

"Come back to my place," he suggested. "I promised Scor ice cream, but we have a ton of it at home. He and Rosie can play, and we'll talk."

There was a devilish smirk on her lips. "Like we used to?" she asked.

He placed his hand on the small of her back and led them back to the children. "Why? Do you really want me to know what color your knickers are?" he wondered.

She held her own; not even the hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Not in the slightest," she replied. "And I already know what color yours are, so there's no need to divulge that information."

Draco, though, was unable to hide the embarrassed heat that rose up his neck. "So, ice cream?" he asked, taking his son's hand. The kids cheered loudly and followed their parents as they left the school for the nearest floo. "So, what makes you think I haven't changed my underwear preference in the last five years?" He asked quietly.

Hermione smirked a smirk that would rival any Malfoy. "Still black silk boxer shorts?" She inquired, one eyebrow quirked.

"Keep that up and you'll never find out," he replied with a self satisfied smirk.

They entered the Leaky Cauldron. "I'm okay with that," she decided. Draco chuckled as he grabbed a handful of floo powder and everyone piled into the fireplace. He called out their destination and soon they arrived at his house. Scorpius quickly whisked Rose away to show her his room, leaving the adults alone. "Nice house. What made you decide to leave the manor?"

Draco shrugged as he led her to the kitchen. "Too many bad memories," he replied. "Plus, I didn't want Scor growing up someplace so cold. I wanted him to have a real home. The manor was too big anyway."

Hermione opened the freezer and removed a carton of cotton candy ice cream while Draco got bowls and spoons. She didn't want to discuss Malfoy Manor. She didn't want to think about the place. Though she had only been there once, it had been a less than pleasant experience. The scar on her arm, the one that read Mudblood, haunted her dreams.

"Let's talk about something happy," he suggested, seeing her discomfort.

"Like what?" she asked, placing a scoop of the frozen blue treat in each bowl.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "How about Rose? She seems like a really great kid."

"She is," Hermione agreed, smiling for the first time since she set foot in his house. "She's sweet and funny and incredibly smart. But she doesn't feel like she has to prove it to everyone the way I did."

"Does she see Weasley often?" he asked, pouring chocolate syrup on top of his son's ice cream.

Hermione shook her head. "Um, no. I haven't had any contact with them since I called off the wedding. Ron wasn't too happy with me, and he made it clear that we were done."

"So, he doesn't know about her," Draco assumed. "Astoria never wanted kids, at least, not with me. She was gone the second the divorce was finalized, and never looked back. Scor doesn't even remember her."

Hermione cleared her throat and put the ice cream carton away. "I thought we were supposed to be talking about happy things," she reminded him.

Nodding, he picked up two bowls and left the kitchen. Following his example, she took the other two and joined him as he made his way to the second floor. When they reached Scorpius's room, Draco let them in and set the bowls down on his son's desk.

"Don't make a mess," he instructed. "Miss Hermione and I will be downstairs if you need anything."

The kids nodded and the adults took their leave. He led her to the living room and made himself comfortable on the sofa. "So you and me," he said when she sat down. "Think we can be friends again?"

She eyed him and set her bowl aside. "I don't know," she murmured uncertainly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
"He asked if we could be friends again," Hermione lamented.

"Like before?" Pansy Parkinson-Zabini asked.

The pair had unexpectedly become friends two years earlier when her daughter, Daisy, had been placed in Hermione's class. Pansy had tried to have her moved to another class, but the school refused. And so, Daisy Zabini stayed in Miss Hermione's class. Pansy and Hermione talked often about the little girl's penchant for troublemaking. It was Hermione who listened when Pansy tearfully admitted that she was unable to control her spoiled daughter. She blamed herself for not being able to deny Daisy her every wish. They met weekly in hopes of finding a solution to the little girl's behavior problems, and found themselves becoming friends in the process. Pansy knew things Hermione had told no one else, and she kept her friend's secrets.

"Something like before," Hermione guessed. "He asked about my knickers, but I think that was a joke."

"Do you think the two of you could be friends again?" Pansy asked.

Hermione shrugged. "After all that's happened between us, it's hard to say," she replied. "He's been asking about Ron and why we didn't get married."

"Did you tell him that he's the reason?"

The kitchen door opened, and two giggling little brunettes ran to their mothers' sides. The conversation ceased. Daisy, who had her mother's proclivity for talking a mile a minute spoke.

"Mummy, I want Rosie to sleep over tonight, but she said she has to ask her mummy. Can you make Aunt Hermione say yes?" she asked, batting her dark eyelashes.

"Please Mummy?" Rose added, using her patented wide-eyed, pleading stare.

Hermione chuckled as she pulled her daughter onto her lap. "I think it's up to Auntie Pansy before I say yes or no," she pointed out.

Two sets of eyes, both blue, turned to Pansy. "It's okay with me," she declared. "Blaise is away on business, so Daisy and I were going to have a girls' night anyway."

"And I get the house to myself," Hermione added. "That's never happened."

Satisfied that both parents had agreed, the two girls left for Daisy's room once more. "Yeah, you'll be alone until midnight when Rose decides she wants to go home," Pansy remarked.

"What was her excuse the last time? There were monsters under my bed and she needed to protect me from them," Hermione recalled.

Pansy laughed and nodded vigorously as she remembered that night. "I'll try to keep her here tonight in case you and Draco decide to be _friendly_," she replied with a suggestive wiggle of her brows. A move that earned her a tea towel to the face. "Okay, okay. Sorry!"

"Forgiven," Hermione replied. "And yes, he knows he's the reason. He just doesn't know how _much_ he's the reason."

"I think you should tell him," Pansy advised. "He has the right to know, and it'll be worse if he finds out some other way."

"How would he find out? You're the only one who knows," Hermione reminded her with a look that said it better still be true.

Pansy held up her hands in surrender. "He won't hear it from me," she promised. "Okay, but say he runs into Ron. We know how upset he was that Astoria abandoned Scorpius. What if he mentions Rose to him, and Ron tells him that the two of you never slept together? Your whole 'virgin until marriage' rule, which seemed to fly right out the window the minute Draco reentered your life. Anyhow, Draco's smart. He'll put two and two together."

It was a scenario Hermione had never anticipated. And one whose consequences she now feared. "He'll hate me," she whispered.

"You don't know that," Pansy replied. "He could surprise you. Whether he's mad or not, he has a right to know that he's Rose's father."

She knew Pansy was right. She'd been saying it for years, since she had learned Hermione's secret. But Hermione had always had the excuse that she didn't know how to contact Draco. Now he was a part of her life, someone she saw daily. There was no reason she couldn't tell him now. No reason except that she was afraid to do it.

"What if he decides to never speak to me again?" she asked. "That's what happened between the two of you, right? He said he never wanted to speak to you again, and he sure kept up his end of the bargain."

Pansy shook her head. "Our situations aren't the same," she replied. "He stopped talking to me sixth year when he found out that I was cheating on him with Blaise. The difference between you and me is that Draco actually wants to be your friend. He never cared about me, not really. Not like he cares about you. He's making an effort with you."

It was Hermione's turn to shake her head. "He wants to be friends for the kids' sake," she argued. "It has nothing to do with me or what happened between us in the past."

"I disagree," Pansy countered. "I think he's just using the kids as an excuse to be with you."

"We were never supposed to be together in the first place. He was married, Pans," Hermione reminded her.

"Right," Pansy agreed, "and now he's not. He didn't get divorced because of you. _You_ didn't break up a happy marriage. He's free and single, and he's choosing you now because he can. I hate to think you feel guilty about what's happened."

Hermione rose from her seat. "He's not choosing me," she stated. "And I don't feel guilty." She exited the kitchen with Pansy hot on her heels.

"Don't leave," she said. "And please don't be mad at me. You know I sometimes stick my nose in where it doesn't belong."

Hermione grabbed a handful of floo powder and offered her friend a smile. "I'm just going back to get Rose some things for the night," she promised. "I'll be back soon."

She left the Zabini house in a plume of green fire and returned to her quiet, empty flat. Quickly, she packed a small bag for her daughter - pajamas, an outfit, and her teddy bear and blanket. When she returned to the living room, intent on going back to Pansy's, she found that she was no longer alone.

"Draco!" she said, shocked and surprised to find him sitting alone in the dark. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and turned to face her. "Scor's at my mother's house," he told her. "I thought we could do something tonight. Going somewhere?"

"Um, Rose is sleeping over at a friend's house, so I'm just bringing her some stuff," she explained. "I'll be back in a bit."

Draco nodded. "I'll be here when you get back," he replied, watching as she stepped into her fireplace and disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Why was he there? she wondered as she returned to her flat. Pansy's suggestion of a run in with Ron plagued her thoughts. Draco hadn't moved since she left, but he turned to face her when she reappeared.

"Hey," he greeted her with a warm smile. "Listen, I'm sorry for just showing up. It's just so boring sitting around the house by myself. I thought maybe you could sympathize."

"I do," she replied, her heart beating rapidly. "I was just surprised. Rose is gone for the night too."

Draco smiled. "You already mentioned that," he pointed out. "So, are you gonna sit down, or do I have to crane my neck all evening to talk to you?"

She slowly moved away from the fireplace and took a seat at the opposite end of the couch. "So, um, you came here," she said as she nervously cracked her knuckles.

He nodded in confirmation. "I hope that's alright," he replied. "I meant it when I said I want us to be friends again. And I know you have your reservations about that. Things didn't go as planned as the last time we tried this."

Hermione laughed hesitantly. "No, they didn't," she agreed. "And we both have kids now, so I think we need to be a bit more careful about who we let into our lives. I don't want Rose to get attached to you only for us to decide this won't work."

"Have you dated since she was born?" he wondered. "I tried once, but some women aren't interested in a guy who spends the entire evening talking about his son."

"No, I haven't," she replied. "Rose has been my main priority for the past five years. Dating didn't seem to work into the equation."

Sighing, Draco nodded. "Ya know, the other day Scor asked me if he didn't have a mother because he's a boy, and Rosie didn't have a father because she's a girl," he shared with a mirthless chuckle. "What could I even say to that?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, pulling the pillow from behind her back. "What did you say?" she wondered. "Does he know about Astoria?"

Draco shook his head. "I told him it was something like that, then I asked what he wanted for dinner," he replied. "Food always distracts that boy. And it hasn't come up again."

"He knows that's not the truth," she informed him. "The other kids at school have talked about their parents. He knows most of them have a mother and a father."

He slumped down defeatedly. "So, I lied to my son and he knows it," Draco muttered. "I'm awful."

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly. "I guess his question is on par with Rose asking why her father doesn't love her enough to be in her life."

"Ouch," Draco winced. "What did you tell her?"

Hermione shrugged. "That I loved her more than enough for the both of us, and then I made her take a bath," she replied.

"Has she asked since?"

She shook her head. "I think because it's always been just the two of us, she accepted that that's the way it'll always be," she said. "I haven't dated and Harry's the only male influence she has in her life. And even he's not around all that often. She mostly seems to be okay with things as they are."

"I used to think Scor was the same way until you became his teacher," he admitted. "Now all he talks about is you and Rose, and how he wishes he could have a mum like you. It's like, all of a sudden, I'm not enough for him."

Hermione reached over and covered his hand with her own. "I've seen the two of you together. That little boy worships you," she said, hoping he took comfort in her words.

But Draco frowned, and she was sure she had said the wrong thing. She pulled her hand away, but Draco was faster and he held it tightly. "I don't want my son to idolize someone who doesn't deserve it," he explained. "My whole life, my father worshipped the Dark Lord, and we both know what he was like."

"You're not seriously comparing yourself to Voldemort," she chastised. All she received in response was a careless shrug of his shoulders. "Draco, you can't honestly think that you're that evil."

He turned a wry smile her way. "So, you think I'm a little bit evil?" he asked.

"You were always a bully, but I never thought you were evil," she responded.

Draco shifted closer, so close their shoulders now touched. "Even though I lured you away from Weasley?" he murmured.

Hermione shrugged, bumping his shoulder with her own. "Maybe I wanted to be lured," she said softly. "Ron and I never would have worked, had we slept together or not."

"You and me, or you and him?" Draco asked.

"Both. Either," she replied, realizing her mistake. But it was too late, and she could practically hear the gears in his mind working to analyze her response. "I mean, if you and I hadn't been together, Ron and I still would have broken up. It just would have taken a lot longer for me to figure it out. I don't think it matters who I was sleeping with."

Draco cleared his throat. "I believe this is the part where you thank me," he stated.

Instead, she wrinkled her nose. "Couldn't I just give Scor O's for the rest of the year?" she asked.

"But think about all the parents who aren't sitting on your sofa right now," he reminded her as another thought occurred to him. "What's the school's policy on teachers and parents?"

"We're allowed to be friends," she assured him.

He extended his free arm so it rested atop the sofa cushions behind her head. "And what if a parent wanted more?" he wondered, leaning in closer.

"Draco," she said his name weakly in protest, even going so far as to attempt to push him away. But her hand stayed on the hard planes of his chest.

"Too fast?" he asked, pulling back slightly.

Hermione nodded and swallowed. "I thought we were going to try to be friends," she reminded him.

"As I recall, we were the kind of friends who regularly saw one another naked," he replied. "But I guess I can be the kind of friend who listens to you and offers advice. Like Potter. Unless he's seen you naked too."

Hermione laughed in spite of herself. "Not that I know of, and I'm sticking to that," she stated. Pulling her hand away from his, she got to her feet. "What do you say we get some take out and watch a movie? Maybe if you convince me the Boogeyman lives under my bed, I'll let you spend the night."

"Really?" he replied, one eyebrow raised lasciviously.

"On the couch," she added. "And my bedroom door will be locked."

He held out his hand for her to shake as he stood up. "Sounds like a deal."


	8. Chapter 8

I meant to post yesterday, but my internet wasn't working. This is a short week because of Thanksgiving, but I'll try to post again!

* * *

Chapter 8  
Pansy floo'd to Hermione's flat with a distraught Rose in her arms. "Hermione?" she called out, just loud enough to be heard over the little girl's sobs.

One head popped up at the sound, but it wasn't who she expected. "Pansy?" Draco asked, getting to his feet. He rounded the sofa and took Rose from her.

"What's going on, Draco? she asked. "Where's Hermione? What are you doing here?"

The bedroom door opened before he could answer. "What happened?" they heard Hermione's panicked voice ask. "Is-" But she stopped short when she stood between the two former Slytherin friends.

"Um, here," Draco mumbled, handing Rose to her mother.

Pansy turned to Hermione. "She was complaining that her stomach hurt," she explained. "Her head feels a bit warm, but she doesn't have a fever."

"Did you get homesick?" Hermione asked, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. Rose sniffled and nodded. "Sorry, Pans. That's for bringing her back."

She nodded in reply and stepped closer under the pretense of smoothing down Rose's hair. "I want the details tomorrow," she whispered.

Hermione nodded uneasily and watched her friend leave. "I should probably go too," Draco decided, smoothing down his tousled hair.

Rose lifted her head and stared at him. "Where's Scorpy?" she asked.

"At his grandmum's," Draco replied, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Go get him?" she asked, her eyes closing as her head rested on her mother's shoulder.

"You don't have to," Hermione whispered. "I'm gonna go put her down. You can stay if you'd like."

Draco nodded and returned to the sofa as Hermione left the living room. She entered her bedroom and placed a sleepy Rose on her bed. "Sleep in your bed, Mama?" she asked.

"Yeah, honey. I'll be right back. You sleep," Hermione told her as she pulled the blankets over her. Quietly, she left the room, shutting the door behind her. Upon her return to the living room, she found Draco sitting in the dark. "Sorry if Pansy woke you."

"Is Rose alright?" he asked. Yawning, she sat down beside him and nodded. "Are you sure you don't want me to leave? We don't want her getting the wrong idea or too attached to me."

Hermione felt her eyes slide shut as her head listed toward his shoulder. "I think one night will be okay," she murmured. "Besides, I think she's already attached. When she's upset, she won't go to just anyone. And she let you hold her."

"Must like me," he replied tiredly. His head rested atop hers and soon his eyes closed as well. "Is she gonna be upset if she wakes up alone in your bed?"

She snuggled closer to him. "Probably," she mumbled.

Draco felt his mind grow sluggish as sleep attempted to claim him. "So, then maybe you should..."

"Yeah," Hermione said.

Soon, the pair was asleep, curled up on the sofa until Rose awoke the next morning. Panic set in when she didn't see her mother asleep by her side. She threw off the blankets, not caring that they fell to the floor, and ran from the master bedroom. It wasn't until she reached the living room that her gait slowed. There on the sofa, slept Draco and Hermione, curled into one another for warmth. She approached quietly, her pink blanket dragging behind her, and climbed onto the couch. After haphazardly covering her mother with the blanket, she moved on to Draco and snuggled into his side. And soon she contently fell asleep beside him.

He felt the sofa shift and opened his eyes a crack. On either side of him was a sleeping brunette, and he was careful to not jostle either one of them as he moved his free arm to hold Rose closer. On his other side, Hermione began to stir and sat up. Draco turned to face her and smiled. "This makes me miss Scor," he whispered.

"Did she sleep out here all night?" Hermione wondered, looking past him to where her daughter slept.

Draco shook his head. "I think she just got here," he replied. His attention once again settled on Rose. "She sucks her thumb in her sleep. Scor does that too. Only in his sleep."

"Hmm, weird," Hermione murmured, getting to her feet. "I'm gonna make some breakfast. Do you want to stay, or do you need to pick up Scor?"

He continued to observe the sleeping girl curled up beside him. "Think she'd be happy if I brought him back here?" he wondered.

Hermione smirked. "I think you're gonna be unhappy if you wake her up," she cautioned. "My daughter is not what you'd call a morning person."

"We'll just let her sleep," he decided. Hermione chuckled softly and walked towards the kitchen. Draco sat as still as possible, fearful of awakening a sleeping Granger. Rose rested her head against his chest, and as she did so, a curtain of curls fell across her face. He smoothed the hair back, tucking the brown locks behind her ear.

It was then he noticed the beauty mark on her ear. A small, dark circle in the center of the lobe. His father had had one. He had one. Scorpius had one. Was it just a coincidence that Rose Granger, purported daughter of Ron Weasley, had one too? There was some common thread between the two families, one's whose lineage he didn't know. But what if it was more than that, more than some shared genetic trait?

What if Rose was actually his daughter?

As gently as he could, he pulled his arm away and laid her down on the cushions. He searched for his shoes, finding one had been kicked beneath the sofa. Quickly, he pulled them on and went to the kitchen. "I have to go," he announced.

Hermione held the tea kettle beneath the running tap. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "Scor...is he okay?"

"Um, yeah, fine," he replied. "Just a little accident. Sometimes he forgets in the middle of the night, and anyway, so I have to bring over some clean clothes to my mother's house."

She nodded and shut off the faucet. "Okay, well, why don't you come back later," she offered. "The kids can play together for a bit."

He agreed, though he was sure he wouldn't be back. As he made his way back through the living room, he stopped by the sofa to take one last look at Rose. "Are you mine?" he whispered. Then he turned to the fireplace and floo'd to Malfoy Manor. Narcissa looked up from her morning tea when he entered the dining room. "Where's Scor?" he asked.

"Getting dressed," she told him. "What's wrong?"

"I have a kid."

Narcissa chuckled. "Yes, you do," she replied. "His name is Scorpius."

Draco shook his head, his eyes widening. "I think Rose Granger is my daughter."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
"I think Rose Granger is my daughter," he clarified

Narcissa calmly set her cup down and eyed her only son. "What do you mean Rose Granger might be your daughter?" she inquired, lips pursing when she finished speaking.

"It means I think Rose is my daughter," he said slowly, unsure why she didn't seem to understand him.

"How?" she asked.

Draco furrowed his brows. "Are you asking how we made her?" he wondered. "Because I believe it was _you_ who gave _me_ that lecture."

Narcissa shook her head. "I'm sorry, I should have been more specific," she replied sarcastically. "How is it that you and Miss Granger may have had a child together? You said she is a year older than Scorpius. If my math is correct, you were married at that time."

With a sigh, he pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. "A little over five years ago, Hermione and I had...an affair," he explained. "It started out as us having a coffee once a week and a few months later we were, ya know. And then about a week before her wedding, we made plans to meet up. She told me that day that she couldn't see me again because she was marrying Weasley, and she couldn't bear the thought of cheating on her husband. And that was it."

"And what makes you think Rose is yours?" she asked.

"The mark on her left ear," he replied. "The same one that Scorpius and I have. Rose has it too."

Narcissa looked behind him to make sure they were still alone. "Does Scorpius know?" she asked.

Draco shook his head. "I just figured it out myself," he replied. "I don't actually know for sure. When I saw it, I panicked and left Hermione's. She doesn't know that I know."

She sat back and crossed her arms. "You were...at Hermione's?" she inquired. "Overnight? Getting to work on my third grandchild perhaps?"

He scowled and rose from his seat. "We're working on being friends," he told her. "Although, I don't know if that's gonna happen after she kept this from me. Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"Perhaps because you were married and fully believed your child should be of pureblood," his mother stated. "Perhaps that's why she kept it from you."

Draco shook his head. "The Pureblood thing, she knew I didn't care about that," he replied sadly. "I told her a thousand times that it didn't matter to me anymore. Do you think she didn't believe me?"

His mother shrugged. "You haven't really given her a reason to trust you in the past," she stated, going back to her tea. "When she ended things with you, what did you say to her?"

He tried to recall that fateful day. They met in their usual room at the Leaky Cauldron, one Draco rented by the week. He claimed he needed it for sanctuary, a place he could go to get away from his wife. It had a fireplace that allowed Hermione to floo in directly. She was usually happy to see him, but that day she commented that she wasn't feeling well. Then she said that they needed to talk. He had been stunned by what she had to say, and then let her go when she had finished.

"Nothing," he replied. "I said nothing. I let her go. I let her walk away. She's stubborn, more stubborn than me. Nothing I said would have changed her mind."

"If she had told you about Rose, what would you have done?" she inquired.

Draco released a tired sigh and sat back down. "I don't know," he admitted. But he did know. He knew he would have left Astoria for her. He would have helped Hermione raise their child. However, he knew now that had he done that, Scorpius would never have been born.

"And how do you intend to proceed now?" Narcissa continued.

He had two options - tell her he knew or pretend that he didn't. "I'm not filing for custody, if that's what you're getting at," he told her. "She's Hermione's. She belongs with her."

"But she may be yours as well," she pointed out.

"Look, I'll talk to her, find out if she really is my daughter," he promised. "But I'm not gonna give Hermione a reason to fear losing Rose. I've missed out on five years of her life already. I don't want to lose any more."

Narcissa began to refute, a small squeak passing her lips, as the dining room door opened. Scorpius entered and ran to his father's side. "Daddy! Daddy! Look, I got dressed all by myself," he declared proudly. Draco picked him up and placed him on his lap. "Did I do good, Daddy?"

Draco surveyed his backwards jumper and inside-out socks. "Almost, buddy," he told him. "Want to fix your shirt?"

The little boy shook his head. "No, Daddy," he stated. "The tag makes my neck itchy. If I wear it this way, it's not itchy."

"What if I remove the tag for you?" Draco suggested. "Then it won't be itchy anymore and you can wear it the right way."

Scorpius nodded and sat still while his father removed the pesky tag. Draco then righted his shirt. "Feel better?" he asked as he smoothed down the little boy's hair.

The youngest Malfoy tested it out, twisting and turning and leaning back against his father. It was then he decided that the tag removal had done the trick. "Can I play with Rosie today?" he asked, now that he felt better about his wardrobe.

Draco looked to his mother, hoping she would offer up a reason why he couldn't spend the day at the Grangers' house. But she was of little help, merely agreeing that it seemed like a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. He scowled at her. "I'm sure Miss Hermione wouldn't mind," he relented.

Scorpius dismounted his father's lap and tugged on his hand. "Go now?" he asked, unable to wait a second longer.

"Say goodbye to Grandmum first, and thank her for letting you sleep over," Draco instructed. Scorpius quickly did as instructed and ran back to his side. "We'll talk later, Mother."

They left then, flooing back to Hermione's flat. Rose was wide awake and ready for the day when they arrived. She sheepishly approached them and smiled. "Hi, Mr. Draco," she greeted him. "May Scorpy and me play?"

Draco bit his lip to stifle a laugh at her politeness. "It's okay with me," he told her. "Where's your mum? I need to talk to her."

"Kitchen," Rose replied. "I think she's still making breakfast."

He nodded and left the two children to play on their own. It was a short walk from the living room to the kitchen, but it felt longer. Hermione had just begun to plate pancakes when he stopped in the doorway. "Hey," he said softly.

She turned to him and smiled. "I made plenty," she announced, holding up the plate in her hand.

"We need to talk," he stated solemnly.

And her smile disappeared.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
"About what?" she asked nervously, putting the plate down on the counter.

"Rose," he stated, trying his hardest to keep a stern look on his face. If she were his daughter, he wanted to be mad that Hermione had kept her from him for so long. But as tears welled in her eyes, he knew it was a bravado he could not maintain. "She's mine, isn't she?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered, choking back a sob that threatened to escape. "I'm so sorry."

He moved towards her, wanting to both throttle her and comfort her. His arms slipped around her, holding her close to his chest. "Why didn't you tell me?" he wondered, his voice soft. "You could have told me."

She pulled back just enough to look up at him. "And what would you have done?" she asked. "We couldn't be together, not then. You had a contract to fulfill."

"Yeah, and it's fulfilled," he replied. "You still should have told me, Hermione. Even if there was no way to be together, I should have known I had a daughter. I should have been here for the both of you."

Hermione shook her head. "It wouldn't have worked," she muttered.

His arms slipped free of her and he moved to the other side of the kitchen. "That day you broke things off, did you know then?" he asked.

Looking away she nodded. "You started talking about Astoria and some horrible thing she had done that day," she remembered. "It was the first thing you said to me that afternoon. And all I could think was you were stuck in one relationship because of an arranged marriage, and now you'd be stuck in another because of the baby. I thought I'd be ruining your life by telling you, so I didn't."

"Did Weasley know?"

"He did," she confirmed. "Well, not at first. Harry told him a couple of months after I called off the wedding. Despite Ginny's protests, Harry helped out quite a lot while I was pregnant."

Now he understood why she had been cut off by the Weasley family. "Why did he help? If he married the Weasley girl, shouldn't he have sided with them?" he asked.

Hermione offered a small smile. "He was mad," she said. "But he's also a really good friend. I think he was sort of glad to see me make a mistake."

"Rose isn't a mistake," Draco said through gritted teeth.

Her eyes widened. "I didn't say she was," she replied softly. "Rose is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I have you to thank for her. But having an affair...it wasn't exactly the right thing to do."

Draco sighed and leaned against the counter. "It never felt wrong being with you," he murmured. "I was happy when I was with you."

"I was too," she admitted, standing across from him. They stood in silence, both seeming to wait for the other to speak first. A door opened down the hall, and Hermione heard two sets of footsteps coming running. "This is a bad time to ask this, but are you going to try to take her away from me?"

He was poised to answer when Rose ran into the kitchen. "Mummy, is it breakfast time now?" she asked, eyeing the plate by Draco's side.

Hermione sniffed and set a smile on her lips. "Yep, take this out to Scor, and the two of you can start eating," she said. Rose took the proffered plate and bounced out of the room. "Um, I should probably put some more on. I hadn't expected you to come back so soon."

"I'll keep an eye on the kids," he replied, retrieving the maple syrup from the refrigerator. "And Hermione, I have no intention of taking her from you. It wouldn't be fair to Rose."

She watched him go, and knew she had deserved that. There were many things that weren't fair to Rose - never knowing her father, knowing her father now without knowing who he really was, being put in the middle of the battle Hermione was sure would now ensue. But Hermione deserved whatever Draco threw her way.

She turned back to the stove to start another batch of pancakes when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Gasping, she turned to find Draco standing behind her. "I thought you should know that Rose is upset," he said. "She could tell you were crying. Might want to come up with an excuse when you come to the table."

Unwilling to trust her voice, Hermione sniffled and nodded her head. There was a look of concern in his eyes, but Draco said nothing. He wiped away her tears and left once more. Minutes later, she joined the trio at the table and took the only empty seat beside Draco. Beneath the table, Draco gave her knee a gentle squeeze.

"Okay, who wants more?" he asked, smiling as he placed two pancakes on each plate that was presented to him. "Hermione?"

"What?" she asked, snapping out of the daze she had been in since her confession.

He held up a pancake he had speared on his fork. "Food?" he asked.

"Um, I'm not hungry," she mumbled. "I think I'm gonna go lie down for a bit. Do you mind keeping an eye on Rose?"

Draco nodded and all three watched her walk away. "Is Miss Mini okay, Daddy?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah, buddy," he replied, turning his attention to Rose. Worry reflected in her blue eyes, eyes so similar to those of his mother. "Sweetie?"

"Can I go see Mummy?" she asked, tears threatening to spill.

He offered her a small smile. "I think Mummy needs some alone time right now," he replied. "Why don't you finish your breakfast? When you're done maybe the two of you can watch a movie while I clean up."

Rose nodded halfheartedly and picked at her breakfast until she was told she didn't have to eat anymore. Scorpius took her hand, and together they moved to the living room. After he set up a video for them, he magicked the dishes to wash themselves, then went to Hermione's bedroom. The lights were off, curtains drawn, and she had pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"Hermione?" he whispered, taking a seat on the side of the bed. "Can we talk?"

Her eyes slowly opened. "Where's Rose?" she asked.

"In the living room with Scor," he told her. "She's worried about you, and frankly, so am I. Burying your head in the sand isn't like you, Hermione."

"I have no idea what to do now," she confessed. "You were supposed to go back to hating me when I broke things off, and I was supposed to raise her on my own. I never thought you'd find out about her."

Draco smoothed the hair away from her face. "Do you not want me to be involved?" he asked. "Because, to be completely honest with you, I don't know that I can stay away now."

Hermione shook her head. "No, you should be here if that's what you want," she replied. "We just have to figure out how to tell her."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
"They've been talking for a long time," Rose stated, staring at the hallway rather than the television.

"Why's your mummy so sad?" Scorpius asked, his attention focused on the screen in front of him.

Rose got to her feet and stood in the hallway, staring at her mother's closed bedroom door. "I don't know," she replied sourly, "but I blame your daddy."

The little boy turned to face her. "_My_ daddy?" he asked defensively. "What did my daddy do?"

She shrugged and flipped her long brown curls over her shoulder. "Yelled at her," she stated.

"My daddy doesn't yell," Scorpius shouted, getting to his feet.

Rose scoffed. "That's it, bird brain," she remarked. "Keep yelling, and then we'll get in trouble. Is that what you want?"

And just as she said that, the bedroom door opened and their parents walked out. "What's going on?" Draco asked, eyeing Rose, then Scorpius. Neither child looked him in the eye, nor did they speak. He cleared his throat and turned to Hermione. "Well, maybe they shouldn't play together today. Looks to me like they aren't getting along."

"Um, yeah, looks that way," Hermione replied, surprised by his decision to separate the pair.

Rose merely shrugged and went to her mother's side while Scorpius stared at them with wide, teary eyes. "No, Daddy," he pleaded. "We'll be good. We won't fight. Please don't make us go. Please?"

Once more the adults exchanged a look, as if telepathically making a decision. Hermione became impatient with him as his son began to cry. "It's alright by me if you stay," she said. "Just no more shouting."

"And the two of you apologize to one another for fighting," Draco added.

Scorpius's mouth hung open. "But, Daddy, I was offending you," he said emphatically.

"Do you mean _defending_ me?" Draco asked, attempting to hold back a laugh. Scorpius nodded his head. "Why were you doing that?" he wondered, kneeling down so he and his son were at eye level.

He leaned in and whispered in Draco's ear, "Rosie said you hurt Miss Mini. And I know that wasn't right."

Draco turned to Rose and beckoned her to him. With a little nudge from her mother, she complied, and he wrapped an arm around her. "Rose, I would never hurt your mother," he vowed.

"Then why's she sad?" the little girl asked, concern evident in her blue eyes.

Hermione joined the small group and took a seat on the floor. "I don't know if you guys know this, but Mr. Draco and I went to school together," she told them. "We became friends as we got older, and um, we were just talking about something that happened in the past."

"Something sad?" Scorpius asked, taking a seat beside her.

She shook her head. "Not sad," she replied, searching for the right way to describe it without giving away too much. "Just...something your daddy and I regret happening."

"Like you not being friends anymore?" Scorpius hedged. "Is that gonna happen to me and Rosie too?"

Draco shook his head. "I don't think you two have anything to worry about," he assured him. "One tiny little fight won't hurt your friendship."

"Did you guys have a big fight?" Rose asked, taking a seat on Draco's lap when he sat down.

He looked down at her and smiled. "Kind of," he said. "It was complicated, but we're okay now. Right, Hermione?"

She looked from her daughter to him, eyes wide. "Um, we are," she replied. But only Draco heard it as a question. With a smile, he nodded at her.

"How about you guys finish watching your movie," he suggested. The kids got to their feet and returned to the television. Draco stood and helped Hermione up. "Can we finish our talk now?"

"Are we really okay, or was that just for the kids?" she wondered.

Draco shrugged and started towards the kitchen. She followed, charming the room when they were both inside. "Do you want me to be mad?" he asked. "Would that make the situation any better? I told the kids that you and I are okay because I had to. But, I don't know, Hermione. I think a part of me meant it. Because getting mad, being mad at you, means I lose out on Rose. Again."

"You can be mad at me, Draco," she told him. "It won't change things between you and Rose. The door to her is open."

He nodded sarcastically. "Right, and the minute I do something to piss you off, it's closed again," he replied. "I have to be okay with this whole situation."

Turning to the coffee maker, she distracted herself by brewing a fresh pot. She knew she hadn't deserved his kind words and promises that everything was fine. It would never be fine. She had kept too big a secret from him for too long, and there was no forgiving her actions. And she couldn't blame him if he decided to hold it against her for the rest of her life.

Draco took the filled pot from her hand and put it aside. "Look, we're not gonna figure this out in a day," he told her, his voice soft and patient. "I don't want to be mad at you. Getting angry won't get us anywhere. The kids are all that matter. Getting to know Rose better is what matters to me."

Hermione smiled at the sound of her daughter's name. "She never cried," she told him. "And she has the best giggle. I don't know that there's ever been a happier baby than Rose."

"Why did you pick that name?" he wondered.

A blush colored her cheeks and she looked away. "Because of you," she replied. And when he flashed her a confused look, she furrowed her brows. "Don't you remember? The first time we saw each other at that coffee house, you had a bouquet of roses that you said you were taking to your mother. When we were finished and ready to leave, you took one out and gave it to me. And then every time we met after that, you always brought me a rose."

"Lucky for her I didn't bring you a ham," he joked.

Hermione chuckled. "Well sure, then I would have had to name her Porky. Imagine how the kids would laugh at her," she replied, unable to hide her smile.

Draco laughed, but his expression quickly took a serious turn. "How do we tell her?" he wondered.

With a sigh and a shrug, Hermione went back to making coffee. "I don't know," she told him. "But I think we should do it soon."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
It wasn't the best plan, but it did seem to be the simplest. Draco arrived for dinner the next night, sans Scorpius. And his whereabouts were the first thing Rose queried. "With his grandma," Draco told her. "Where's your mum?"

"In the kitchen cooking," Rose replied. "Can you ask her not to make spaghetti again? She says I'm not allowed to say it anymore."

He laughed as she led him to Hermione. "Asked a lot, did you?" Rose nodded glumly. "Your mother makes good spaghetti though."

"And she makes it _all_ the time," Rose stated exasperatedly. "I'm so tired of it."

His laughter increased as he picked her up and carried her to the kitchen. "Hermione, we demand that we not eat spaghetti tonight," he stated.

"How about a little solidarity, Draco?" Hermione insisted. "And way to help the five year old stage a dinner coup. For your information, the both of you, we're having pot roast tonight. Any objections to that?"

Draco wrinkled his nose. "That depends - can you make pot roast?" he inquired. "Or would we have a better time chewing on my shoe?"

Rose giggled and turned his chin to face her. "Mummy makes good pot roast," she informed him. "Like super duper the best."

"Well, there's no better critic than a picky five year old," he decided. "What can I do to help?"

Hermione surveyed the pots on the stove. "Um, nothing. I'm pretty much done here," she replied as she turned off two of the burners. "Why don't the two of you wash your hands and take a seat. I'll bring dinner out shortly."

She watched them leave and took several calming breaths. Tonight, her...their daughter would learn the truth about her parentage, and it terrified her. She pictured tears and yelling and an upset little girl. It was a situation she was unsure she could handle. But the longer she stood there, the longer she could put off telling Rose. "Just rip the plaster off already," she mumbled to herself as she set the food to levitate to the table.

"Smells good," Draco commented as he lifted the lid from a pot of mashed potatoes. He placed a small portion on Rose's plate before signalling Hermione to hand him hers. It was only after he had filled their plates that he helped himself to dinner.

They ate in silence. Rose picked at her food as she watched the adults. "Why didn't Scorpy come?" she asked as she flattened her potatoes with the back of her fork. The look that passed between her mother and Draco did not go unnoticed.

"Um," Hermione said, setting her fork aside. "There's something Mr. Draco and I want to tell you. It's not a bad thing. I promise."

Rose looked back and forth between them before letting her gaze fall on Draco. "Are you gonna tell me that he's my daddy?" she asked, her voice small.

Hermione gasped, but Draco kept his cool. "How do you know that?" he asked.

She slipped out of her chair and moved to his side. With a crook of her finger, she beckoned him to lean down. "I have that mark too," she told him, pointing to the beauty mark on his ear. "Scor told me that he had one just like mine, and that you have one too."

"And you figured it out all on your own?" Hermione asked. Rose nodded.

"Does Scor know?" Draco asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "Why weren't you my daddy before?"

"I was," Draco told her. Then he looked to Hermione for help.

"Sweetie, um, he's always been your daddy," she told her. "I made a mistake by not telling him sooner, but he's here now."

Draco nodded. "And I'm not going anywhere," he assured her. "I really want to be a dad to you the way I am to Scorpius."

"Does that make Scor my brother?" she asked. "Because you're his daddy and my daddy, and the kids at school who have the same daddies are brothers and sisters. So, does that mean me and Scor are brother and sister?"

"It does," he confirmed.

"And are you and Mummy gonna get married?" she inquired. "Because the other kids at school who have mummies and daddies, they're married."

Hermione shook her head. "No, baby, we're not getting married," she told her.

"Will we live together?" Rose suggested.

Draco's eyebrows rose. "That's not a bad-"

"Draco," Hermione chastised.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "There's a lot of things your mum and I need to talk about still before we make any big decisions. We just wanted you to know."

Hermione looked at the little girl with furrowed brows. "Are you okay?" she asked her. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we're gonna do our best to make it easy for you and Scorpius to deal with it all."

Nodding, Rose went back to her seat and continued to eat her dinner. She noticed the concerned look Draco wore, and ate faster. Anything to get away from that table. Rose asked to be excused the second the last morsel of food disappeared from her plate. Hermione nodded, and when Rose was out of the room, she placed her head on the table and groaned.

"That went...well," Draco declared with a hint of uncertainty, rising to clear off the table.

Hermione lifted her head and eyed him. "What table were you just sitting at?" she wondered.

"I get the feeling you want people to be mad at you for keeping this secret all these years," he commented, removing the last pot from the table. "And when they're not, you have no idea what to do with yourself. Not every confrontation is going to end with a flagellation."

She got to her feet and followed him to the kitchen to begin the clean up. "I know that," she stated angrily. "I didn't expect her to be mad at me like I thought you would be. But she's upset, Draco, and it hurts to see her that way. Especially when I know it's my fault that she feels that way."

"And she'll get over it," he assured her. "It's a lot to take in now, believe me. But it'll get easier for all of us."

"I just wish there was something I could do to fix it now," she muttered.

Draco stood behind her as she leaned on the counter. His hands moved to her shoulders, rubbing some of the tension from her muscles. "What if I get Scor?" he suggested. "Let them have a sleepover. Maybe he can cheer her up."

"If you think it'll work," she replied. "Could you propose the idea to her though? I think right now she likes you better."

He pressed a kiss to her temple and pulled away. "She loves you, Hermione. No matter what you do," he told her. He exited the kitchen, passed through the living room, and made his way down the hall to the bedrooms. Rose's room was easy to spot as Hermione had painted her name on the door. He knocked once and let himself in. "Hey, sweetheart," he greeted her. "I wanted to run an idea past you."

Rose eyed him warily. "What is it?" she asked, sitting up on her bed. He took a seat at the foot of her bed and proposed his sleepover idea, promising he could have Scorpius back in a matter of minutes. She nodded halfheartedly and moved off her bed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything," he told her when she came to stand between his legs.

"Can I call you Daddy?" she asked.


	13. Chapter 13

I'm working on a couple of stories for Christmas! Hopefully, I can have them finished by next week.

* * *

Chapter 13  
The kids were asleep in Rose's bed, and Hermione and Draco were seated on the living room sofa.

"She wants to call me Daddy," he told her, smile beaming from ear to ear.

"That's great," Hermione replied, sipping her tea. "And Scor really seemed to help. How are you already the better parent? It's been four hours. Did I ever tell you she refused to call me Mummy until she was three? Until then she just pointed at me and said _her_."

He laughed at her expense. "Her is the first part of Hermione," he pointed out. "Maybe she was just attempting to say your name."

"Nice try, Draco," she replied, "but I'm not falling for that. Just admit it - my kid hates me."

He shifted closer and held her hand. "She doesn't hate you," he promised. "No one in this flat hates you, except maybe for you."

"Why don't _you_ hate me?" she wondered, examining their linked hands.

Draco sighed tiredly. "I remember being so mad at Astoria for leaving Scorpius," he told her. "Honestly, I don't think I'd ever been so mad before in my life. I burned everything, threw out anything she left behind. I wanted every trace of her gone from my life. Then, as Scor got older and started asking questions, I wondered if I had done the right thing. Maybe I should have given him a chance to know her, even if it was just some small part of her."

"Okay, but why don't you hate me?" she asked again.

"Because," he replied, "even if it's five years later, you're giving me the chance to get to know my daughter. Sure, I was mad that you kept it from me, but I can't hate you, Hermione. I feel like, I don't know, like I get a second chance with you now."

Hermione leaned in until their foreheads touched. "A second chance at what?" she murmured.

He pressed his lips to hers, disconnecting their hands to brush her cheek. "With you," he replied when he pulled away.

"Don't you think we're moving a bit too quickly?" she asked, though her hand rose to the back of his neck to hold him in place. "We've sprung a lot on the kids already."

"I can keep it quiet," he promised. "Besides, I don't think we should let them know just yet. We're just getting our feet wet again."

"That might be for the best," she agreed. Nodding, he leaned into her once more. "So, we're really going to do this? We're gonna be a real couple?" she asked before he could kiss her again.

"Do you not want to?" he asked, furrowing his brows. "I mean, I know we don't have the best history with each other, but I thought things had gotten better between us."

Hermione pulled away, putting a couch cushion between them. "I need to know that you want to be with me because you want to be with me," she stated. "I don't want you to think that you have to be with me because of Rose."

Sighing, he got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. Perhaps a part of him had believed that being with her ensured him a place in Rose's life. But there was more to it than that. Six years ago, he thought he could fall in love with Hermione Granger. He'd come close too, until she said she could never see him again.

Before he could refute her claim, a sleepy-eyed Scorpius appeared. Draco turned to his son and bent down. "What's wrong, buddy?" Draco asked, opening his arms in a silent invitation to come to him.

"Rosie talks in her sleep," he grumbled, fitting into his father's arms. He rested his head on Draco's shoulder and shut his eyes.

Hermione gave him a sympathetic look. "She gets that from me," she confessed. "Want to stay out here for a bit? Rosie usually only talks for a few minutes if she's dreaming, but she'll settle down in a bit."

Scorpius nodded and moved away from his father to sit beside Hermione on the couch. She wrapped her arms around him and hoisted him onto her lap. "You smell like Daddy," he commented as he fell asleep in her arms.

"Is that good or bad?" she asked with a gentle laugh.

"Daddy smells good," he replied.

Draco sat down beside them and adjusted the sock that was beginning to slip off of Scorpius's foot. "That's because I take my bath every night," he said, tickling his son's foot. "Unlike some other people I know."

"No like baths, Daddy," he mumbled. "Only when Grandmum does it."

Draco shook his head sadly. "I always knew you liked her better," he said in a "please pity me" tone of voice.

Scorpius's gray eyes opened and he lifted his head from Hermione's shoulder. "Do I have to share Grandmum with Rose too?" he asked. "Like I have to share you now."

The adults exchanged an uncertain look. The topic of grandparents hadn't yet come up. Narcissa Malfoy was the only one on either side of their families after her parents had perished shortly after she had erased their memories. Hermione had literally been her daughter's only family until the Malfoys reappeared in her life. Draco had only positive things to say about his mother in her capacity as a grandmother, but she feared that she would not show her daughter the same kindness. After all, Hermione was a muggleborn, and that was enough of a strike against her without taking the affair into consideration.

"I thought you would have been happy to have Rose as your sister," Draco said, brows wrinkling with concern.

Scorpius shrugged. "I am," he replied softly, placing his head back on Hermione's shoulder. "I just wanna know if I have to share with her. And if I have to share my daddy and my grandmum, does she have to share her mummy too?"

"It's not the same, buddy," Draco told him. "Miss Hermione isn't your mother."

The little boy sat up once more and turned to face Hermione. "But if my daddy is Rosie's daddy, then you should be my mummy because you're her mummy," he insisted.

She offered him a small smile. "Your daddy is right, sweetheart," she told him. "But sometimes I take care of you like a mum would do. Right? I cook for you and help you with your schoolwork and remember that time you hurt your knee? What did I do?"

Scorpius smiled, his eyes crinkling with mirth. "You kissed it and told me it had special mummy healing powers and then you put a plaster on it," he recalled.

"And what happened?" she asked.

"The boo boo went bye bye," he replied. "Because of the mummy healing powers?"

Hermione nodded. "I might not be your mum, Scor, but I still love you," she assured her.

He threw his arms around her neck. "I love you too," he told her.

Draco cleared his throat. "Okay buddy, time to go back to bed now," he stated. Scorpius reluctantly pulled away and went back to Rose's room. "You didn't have to tell him that," Draco said when they were once again alone.

Hermione shrugged. "Why not? I meant it."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
The next Monday, Draco strolled into Hermione's classroom at the end of the day. "So, what do you think about coming to the manor for dinner?" he asked, noticing the kids playing quietly at the back of the room.

Hermione looked up from the papers in front of her and stared wide-eyed at him. "Like you and me?" she asked nervously. "Or the four of us?"

"The four of us," he replied, pointing to Scorpius and Rose. "My mother is dying to meet Rose."

"And hex me, no doubt," she mumbled, returning to her work.

He moved closer to the desk, and sat on the side. "She won't hex you," he promised. "Even if I have to make an Unbreakable Vow to ensure it. I just think Rose has a right to know her grandmother. Narcissa will probably be too focused on the kids to even notice that you're there."

Hermione frowned. "You call your mother Narcissa?" she asked. "I thought you Purebloods were supposed to have better manners than that."

Draco smirked. "Makes more sense now, doesn't it? Why Rose called you her all that time," he remarked. Hermione rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"She at least has the excuse of being a half blood," Hermione pointed out.

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "So hung up on blood status," he bemoaned. "Soon you'll be calling me horrible names that cause me to cry my eyes out in the girls' loo."

"I never cried over you in a bathroom," she told him, getting to her feet. "Learned my lesson about that after first year."

Draco followed her to the back of the room. "Never said you did," he replied. "I said that's what_ I'd_ do. And what exactly happened to you first year?"

She shrugged and bent down to help the kids put away the toys. "We battled a troll," she said as if it were merely Sunday tea.

"In the potty?" Scorpius asked, making a disgusted face.

Rose laughed. "Who says potty?" she asked. "It's called a bathroom."

Draco turned to Hermione, and quirked an eyebrow. "I don't like the word potty," she explained calmly.

"You work with preschoolers. It's bound to come up at least fifty time a day," he pointed out.

"Well, I taught my kid to call it a bathroom. That's all that matters," she retorted. "Besides, it's not that much harder to say bathroom. Same number of syllables."

"More letters."

"Does that matter?"

"Our mummy and daddy are fighting over the loo," Scorpius pointed out as he finished loading his belongings into his backpack. "That seems silly."

Rose nodded in agreement. "Mummy doesn't sleep well at night," she told him. "I think it's making her crazy."

Draco turned to face them. "I heard that," he told them. "Get your things together and we'll get going."

Hermione pulled him aside, any trace of humor now gone from her face. "I can't go there," she whispered.

He was confused and let it show. "Why not?" he wondered. "She'll be fine, on her best behavior the whole time. Nothing's going to happen to Rose there, not with you and me by her side the whole time."

Shaking her head, she pulled up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal the crudely carved scar on her arm. "It's not your mother that bothers me," she told him, quickly pulling the sleeve back down to cover it.

He had seen the scar before, the one his aunt had so viciously cut into her forearm. The knife was spelled to never heal any wound it made. His aunt had branded her a mudblood for life. Draco paled as the realization hit. "Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't think about that. I'm an idiot. We'll have dinner at my house. Mother won't mind the change in location. Or maybe I should postpone. I sort of sprung this on you last minute. If you're too shaken..."

"I'm fine," she cut him off. "Your house will be fine. Come on, Rose."

Rose slung her pack over her shoulder and took her mother's hand. As she was led from the classroom, she glanced back at Draco nervously as he and Scorpius began to follow. He offered her a reassuring smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. It seemed that he too was worried about the evening with his mother. In a few swift steps, he was by Hermione's side.

"So, who does the cooking?" Hermione wondered. "Can you cook?"

"Daddy cooks," Scorpius informed her enthusiastically. It was a trend, she noticed. Whenever the littlest Malfoy discussed his father, his voice was rich with excitement. "I asked him to make macanoni and cheese, but he said no. Grandmother likes fancy dinners."

Rose wrinkled her nose. "What's fancy dinner?" she asked.

"Oh, squab and mint jellies and desserts that burst into flame," Hermione replied casually, earning a poke to the ribs from Draco.

Scorpius tugged on his father's hand. "What's squab?" he asked.

Draco ignored his question. "I was thinking roasted chicken and vegetables and a pound cake I bought at the bakery near our house," he stated, acting affronted by her sarcasm. "Unless the idea of eating pigeon excites you."

"I'm _not_ eating pigeons," Scorpius stated. Pulling his hand away from Draco's, he stopped walking and crossed his arms in protest.

Chuckling, Draco went back to him and picked him up, crossed arms and all. "Miss Hermione and I were only joking," he told him. "No one is eating any pigeons anytime soon."

The little boy eyed him warily. "No one?" he confirmed.

The elder Malfoy smirked. "I'm thinking about making Miss Hermione eat one now just because she brought it up," he joked, glancing back at the Grangers.

Scorpius uncrossed his arms and wound them around his father's neck. "But if you do that, they might hate us," he whispered in his ear.

"Nah, Miss Hermione loves you," he replied. "Dye her hair pink and color on her walls while she's sleeping, and she'll still love you."

Scorpius glanced at Hermione dubiously, silently asking if what his father said was true. Hermione shook her head to let him know that wouldn't be okay and cleared her throat. "She doesn't look like she likes you right now," he murmured.

Draco shrugged and set him back down on his feet. "She never really likes me," he commented as they rejoined the rest of their party. "She merely tolerates me because of my good looks and hilarious witticisms."

"That is not correct at all," Hermione remarked, opening the front door.

"I'm hurt, Granger," he replied. "Wounded. Crushed. Beaten down."

"I get it - you've read a thesaurus," she said, cutting him off. "Can we just go?"

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It'll be okay," he murmured.

Hermione gave him a cautious look. "I hope so."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15  
Narcissa was seated on the living room sofa when the quartet stepped out of the floo. She rose gracefully as her grandson ran to her. Despite his joyous greeting, Narcissa remained passive as she eyed Hermione. "Miss Granger, it's been awhile," she commented.

"Um, yes, it has," Hermione replied nervously. "You look well."

"Perhaps we should let Draco get started on dinner," she suggested. "Scorpius, why don't you take...Rose to play in your room? Give us girls a chance to catch up."

Rose let go of her mother's hand and followed Scorpius upstairs. Draco moved to leave as well, but Hermione caught his sleeve. "Please don't leave me," she said through clenched teeth and a tight smile.

"I'm not going against her wishes. She's scary," he replied. "You'll be okay. Just don't let her see you sweat."

"Easier said than done," she mumbled as he walked away. Narcissa beckoned her to join her, and Hermione slowly moved to the sofa.

Narcissa eyed the nervous brunette, and offered her a warm smile. "So, is it true?" she asked. "Is Rose really a Malfoy?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, ma'am," she said, her voice shaking.

"I'm sure you realize this is a chatty world that we live in. How ever did you manage to keep anyone from finding out?" she wondered.

A smile crested on the young witch's lips and she suddenly looked proud of herself. "I sort of blackmailed Rita Skeeter a few years back," she shared. "I guess you could say I cashed in my favor to keep the news out of the papers. Rose was born in the muggle world, and we lived there for a few years. It wasn't until my funds started running low that I came back. Our flat is still in muggle London."

"I've always wanted a granddaughter," Narcissa shared. "A sweet little girl I could spoil and dress up. Honestly, when I was pregnant, I hoped Draco would be a girl. And then when his wife was pregnant, well, I guess you can see where I'm going with this. Anyhow, what I'd like to know is what will her relationship be with us?"

"I've already told Draco that he can see her anytime he wants to," Hermione replied.

The older witch nodded. "So, a custody agreement has been reached?"

"Not an official agreement per se," Hermione mumbled. "Um, this whole situation is new to the both of us. We didn't want to make any concrete decisions before we were ready."

"That seems wise," she agreed. "Draco is a wonderful father. I don't know where he picked up the loving, paternal gene. It certainly didn't come from his father. I loved my husband, but he had little tolerance for Draco when he was young. Honestly, I think he had little interest in fatherhood. But my son is different."

Hermione smiled. "I know that," she replied. "These last couple of months, I've watched him not only with Scorpius, but with Rose as well. He didn't even know she was his, but he treated her so well. And he's all Scor talks about. Honestly, I hadn't expected him to be this way when we saw each other again."

"You expected him to be angry with you," Narcissa correctly assumed. "Possibly even hate you a little bit."

The young witch nodded. "Nothing about the relationship we had in the past was right," she replied. "But now, I want it to work. I want him to feel comfortable coming around to see Rose. I want her to get to know him better."

Draco called them to dinner and Narcissa rose. "I think he wants that too," she told her as she led Hermione to the dining room. Scorpius and Rose soon joined them just as Draco placed a platter of chicken in the center of the table. "It smells wonderful, Draco," Narcissa commented, placing her napkin on her lap.

"Thanks," he replied as he took a seat next to his son. He placed small pieces of chicken on Scorpius's plate, then did the same for Rose. He eyed his son. "What do you say?"

"I wanna sit next to Miss Mini," Scorpius declared, ignoring his father's probing for a thank you.

Rose, who sat beside her mother, shrugged. "I'll sit next to Daddy," she said, sliding off of her chair.

Draco smiled as she made her way around the table and took the seat Scorpius vacated. After Rose was situated, he caught sight of the scowl on his mother's face. His eyebrows rose in a silent question, one that asked if everything was alright. It was then that Narcissa placed her napkin beside her plate and rose.

"May I speak with you in the other room?" she inquired, walking out before he could respond.

He watched her go and glanced at Hermione. "Did things not go well when the two of you spoke?" he asked, anxious about what he would soon be walking into.

"No, she seemed nice," Hermione replied.

Groaning, he pushed back his chair and stood. "That's what I was afraid of," he grumbled. "I'll be back. I hope."

"Did I do something bad?" Rose asked, her lower lip beginning to quiver.

Hermione's heart broke. With all that had been thrown at the little girl, she had become more and more emotional as the days went on. Something needed to change. Things needed to be normal again. She put on her happiest face and beckoned her daughter to her.

With Rose now on her lap, Hermione kissed the top of her head. "You know we love you, right?" she asked. Rose nodded uncertainly. "You've done nothing wrong. I know things seem weird now, but it won't be that way forever. And I want you to know, and this goes for the both of you, that your daddy and I love you very much."

"Always?" Rose asked.

Hermione smiled. "Forever and ever and ever," she promised.

Rose hopped off of her lap and returned to her seat. "Thanks, Mummy," she said. "Can we eat now?"

"Dig in."

Narcissa charmed the living room so no one would overhear their conversation. Arms crossed over her chest, she eyed her only son. "She calls you daddy," she stated evenly.

"Um, yeah, because I'm her father," Draco replied, surprised by his mother's sudden bought of anger. "Scor calls me daddy, too. Does that bother you too?"

"Don't play cute, Draco," she chastised. "Did you even bother to confirm paternity before deciding to take this little girl on? Are you positive she's even yours?"

Draco scoffed and turned to leave. "Why would Hermione lie about this?" he wondered, his ire rising.

"Because you have money. You have status," his mother responded. "What woman wouldn't want you to be the father of her illegitimate child?"

"You will choose your words more carefully in the future, Mother," he cautioned. "Rose is my child. I don't care what you think. If you don't like the situation or the people involved, you know the way back to your own home."

Then, he turned and went back to the dining room.


	16. Chapter 16

It's moving day at work! I love packing. That's the only reason I don't get upset when they move me. Mental health professionals are baffled by my love of it. I wish I were kidding about that. Anyhow, I'm working on something new, but it's not ready yet. Monday though!

* * *

Chapter 16  
The thought consumed him. Was Hermione really sure that Rose was his daughter? He hadn't wanted to give his mother the satisfaction of know that something she had said that night bothered him. But now it did. It wasn't the money he thought she was after. Hermione was too proud to stoop to so low a level, but raising a child alone wasn't cheap and had to be hard on her salary.

And so, he stood on the other side of her door, poised to knock and demand a paternity test, when he realized the whole situation was silly. Of course, Rose was his. Why would Hermione tell him that she hadn't planned to tell him in order to save him from a life she thought he wouldn't want? She seemed one hundred percent positive that he was Rose's father.

He was about to leave when the front door opened. "Oh, hi," Hermione greeted him, taken aback by his sudden appearance.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he replied sheepishly. "I, um, I wanted to talk. Maybe get a coffee. It's been awhile since we've done that. Were you going somewhere though?"

Hermione shook her head and bent down to retrieve the newspaper that was on her welcome mat. "Just came out to get this," she said. "Yeah, we could do that. I'm sure Rose wouldn't mind playing with Daisy today."

He nodded and she allowed him to enter. Rose was seated on the living room floor with a coloring book and a bag of crayons. She glanced up briefly, smiled, and returned to her coloring. "She okay?" Draco whispered as he walked behind Hermione.

Hermione nodded and led him to her bedroom where they could talk privately. "She's been a bit upset since that dinner at your house," she confessed. "She thinks your mother hates her. And then you came back to the table, and didn't say a word. And she thinks this is all her fault when really it's mine, and I hate that nothing I say makes it any better for her."

"My mother doesn't hate either of you," he replied. "I planned to tell you about our conversation over coffee, but if Rose is this upset, maybe it would be better if she stayed with us. Scor is at Pucey's house. He has a son who's the same age. They...tolerate each other . Remind me to tell you about the time they argued over how being older automatically makes you smarter. They're three weeks apart. But I told him if he played with Cameron today, then we'd have a camp out tonight."

She chuckled. "I can't picture you roughing it," she teased.

"Tent, sleeping bag, no running water," he told her. "We do it up right. Maybe you and Rose should join us. Ya know, so you can stop trying to picture it and see for yourself what I look like in the morning."

"Draco, I've had enough camping to last me a lifetime. Methuselah's lifetime, in fact," she stated. "You can take Rose though. It might help her get over this funk she's in."

Draco looped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the door. "We've both seen what happens when she's left overnight at someone's house," he said. "I'm not putting up with that. You're coming for our daughter's sake."

"Tell me first what happened with your mother," she replied, turning to lean against the door.

He rolled his eyes. "The short version is she wants a paternity test," he told her with a sigh.

"That makes sense, I guess," she replied solemnly. "I haven't really given you a reason to trust me."

Shaking his head, he cupped her face. "I don't need a test," he stated. "_I_ trust you. I believe that Rose is my daughter. Nothing we do is going to change that."

She smiled at him. "There was no one else," she promised. "There's been no one else since you."

"Very good to know," he murmured, kissing her lips. "We should probably go back out there before she develops an abandonment complex."

"To go with her 'Daddy's family hates me' complex," Hermione added, exiting the bedroom.

He followed her to the living room, a scowl on his face, and stopped to get the little girl's attention. But Rose paid him no mind as she continued coloring. Draco eased himself onto the floor beside her. "Hey, Rosie," he said to her.

"Hi," she mumbled, swapping her blue crayon for a yellow one.

"You mad at me?" he asked. She shook her head. "Just don't want to talk to me?"

Rose set aside her picture and looked at him. "Do you love Mummy?" she asked.

"I do," he confirmed. "And I love you too."

"But your mummy doesn't," she replied, chewing on her bottom lip.

Draco furrowed his brows. "Who doesn't my mummy love, sweetheart?" he asked.

She looked down, her teeth still sunk into her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "Me," responded, her voice small and on the verge of tears.

Frowning, he pulled her onto his lap and held her in his arms. "My mother is a very stubborn woman," he told her. "I get that from her. Sometimes I can be a bit stubborn too. But something else I know about her is that she is extremely loving. Did you know that you're the first girl to be born into the Malfoy family in centuries? My mother always wanted a girl, and now she has you. She loves you already, I promise. You're a very hard little girl not to love."

"Then why did she act so mean?" Rose asked.

"She was mad at me," he explained. "But not at you. I promise you that."

Rose nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Do I have to see her again?" she asked.

Draco chuckled as Hermione joined them. "Probably," he told her. "But I'll make sure she's on her best behavior. Now, that that's settled, what do you think of camping, Miss Rosie?"

She wrinkled her nose and looked up at him. "Like sleeping on the ground with bugs?" she asked.

"She has lived with you too long," he stated, eyeing Hermione.

"I've said nothing," she stated. "Honestly, it never came up between toilet training and deciding which was the best bedtime story."

He shot her an incredulous look before turning his attention back to their daughter. "It'll be fun," he promised. "Scor will be there, and we've got junk food. The best part though is there's no bed time."

Rose's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked excitedly. "Can we go, Mummy?"

Hermione groaned. There was no way she could deny her daughter this. Not when she was so excited by the prospect of it. "Yes, we can go," she decided.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
"You went camping in his backyard?" Pansy asked incredulously. She had come by the school for lunch, and they ate in Hermione's classroom while the kids played outside. "Did you sleep in the same tent?"

Hermione nodded. "There was something oddly romantic about it," she replied. "Granted the kids were there, but that made it even better. And they get along so well. Scor asked if we could married."

Pansy leaned back in her chair and quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't even realize you two were truly dating," she remarked. "I mean, hasn't it all been dinners at your flat and little day trips with the kids? And now they're asking you to get married. That seems a bit sudden."

"I don't think it is, not for them," Hermione replied, setting aside her lunch. "To them, the fact that we're in the same room means we love each other. Um, after they fell asleep, Draco and I got to talking about the possibility of moving in together."

Aghast, her friend shook her head vigorously. "What? No, Hermione," she declared. "Look, I understand that you want him to feel involved with Rose, and I understand that the two of you are attracted to each other. I know firsthand how hard it is to not be charmed by Draco's good looks. I just think you guys are moving too fast."

"Which is exactly what we decided," Hermione continued. "We decided instead that Rose should spend a few nights with him. Weekends mostly. She loves him, but she hasn't had much one-on-one time with him."

Pansy relaxed, happy for the time being that her friend had thought rationally. "You're not worried about him showing up at two in the morning because she wanted to come home?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, with Scor there, she seems okay," she replied. "I'm hoping that holds when she's there without me."

Giggles filtered through the windows, and the two women faced the school's small playground. "Speaking of Scorpius," Pansy said as she watched a group of children play tag, "how is he with all of this?"

"He loves it," Hermione replied with a smile. "He tells everyone he meets that Rose is his sister. I just worry that if things don't work between Draco and me, Scor's the one who gets hurt the most. He's sweet and sensitive, and all he wants is a mother."

"Things _will_ work between the two of you," Pansy said encouragingly. "Just take it slow."

They finished their lunch as the headmistress entered her classroom. "Hermione, you're needed outside. It seems a few of your students are fighting."

Hermione quickly got to her feet and followed the headmistress outside. What she saw when she arrived shocked her. Her daughter stood on the sidelines with tears in her eyes. Scorpius and an older boy scuffled in the middle of the courtyard. "Scorpius," Hermione called out. That put an end to things. The two boys stopped and turned to face her. "What's going on here?"

Neither boy spoke, and the headmistress escorted them inside. "I'll have to bring in their parents," she stated. "I would like you and Mr. Wilburn's teacher to join us."

Hermione nodded and returned to the yard to console her daughter. "What happened?" she asked softly as she enclosed Rose in her arms.

"Jackson pushed me," she replied between sobs. "And Scorpy told him not to. And then they started fighting. Is Scorpy gonna get in trouble?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," she replied. "Why don't you come back inside? Auntie Pansy is in my room. I'll go check on Scor."

Rose nodded and went back to the classroom. Hermione's heart pounded as she walked through the school to reach the headmistress's office. Draco had already arrived and was seated in front of her desk with Scorpius on his lap. The other little boy, Jackson Wilburn, sat alone as he awaited his own parents' arrival. Two extra chairs had been conjured, and she took the one to Draco's left.

"What's this about?" he whispered to her.

"You'll find out soon enough," she replied before turning her attention to Scorpius. "You okay, buddy?"

He nodded despite the terrified look on his face. Jackson's mother soon arrived and the meeting began. The headmistress began with a brief description of what had occurred and ended with their punishments. Neither child was asked for his side of the story, and the meeting ended almost as quickly as it had begun.

"Was Rose involved?" Draco asked as he stood to leave.

Hermione nodded, but it was Scorpius who interjected. "He pushed her and I sticked up for her," he stated with tears in his eyes. "No one pushes my sister."

"I'm proud of you," Draco whispered to him. "Okay, let's get you home. Ridiculous, suspending a four year old."

"It's just for today," Hermione assured him as they neared the door. The headmistress called her back. "Um, we'll talk later."

Draco nodded and left with his son in his arms. Hermione turned back and reclaimed her seat. "This school has a policy regarding parent/teacher relationships," the headmistress informed her. "Of course, you knew that. You signed your contract stating that you had read and understood our policies. Is there something you'd wish to tell me about your relationship with Mr. Malfoy?"

Her heart hammered and she had trouble swallowing. "We had a relationship six years ago, before I accepted a job here," she stated, her voice shaking with nerves. "It's only been in the last couple of months that we became friends again."

"Scorpius referred to your daughter as his sister."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, um, Rose is Draco's daughter," she confirmed.

The older, gray-haired woman nodded, her lips tightly pursed. "This is very serious, Miss Granger, as I'm sure you're well aware. You may return to your classroom and we'll discuss this at the end of the day."

Her legs seemed to move all on their own. Hermione soon found herself back at her classroom, and was surprised to see Draco there with Pansy. "You need to leave," she told him. "Scor could get into more trouble if Headmistress Jameson catches you."

"I wanted to make sure my daughter was alright," he told her, picking up on the anger in her voice. "What happened after I left?"

Hermione shook her head. "You should go, Draco," she said again. "Take her with you please. She's a bit shaken up. I'll pick her up after work. We'll talk then."

His hand closed around her arm and he pulled her away from listening ears. "At least give me something," he implored. "Are you mad that the kids got in a fight? Are you mad that I'm here? You love rules. Are you mad that Scor broke them? What, Hermione?"

She huffed impatiently. "I'm mad that I might lose my job over this," she stated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. And you need to go."


	18. Chapter 18

I'm almost finished writing this story! I'm working on chapter 19 and then I'll start on the Epilogue. We'll see how much I get done before the world ends tomorrow. No, I'm kidding. I don't really think the world is gonna end. I spent too much money on Christmas gifts for the world to end four days before Christmas.

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Chapter 18  
Draco paced the living room as he awaited Hermione's arrival. It was half past six when the fireplace roared to life and Hermione stepped out. Rose ran to her and hugged her legs before asking if she and Scorpius could continue to play. Draco told her they could return to his room and he would call them when dinner was ready.

When they were alone, he said, "So?"

She laughed mirthlessly and took a seat. "I broke the rules, Draco," she replied. "I knew the rules and I deliberately broke them."

"They sacked you?" he asked.

"I was told that if we ended things, I would be put on probation for a year," she explained. "If I don't end it, I'm out of a job." She eyed him to gauge his reaction, but his mouth merely hung open in surprise. "So, I started thinking to myself - I can do that. I can end things here and now."

Draco remained on the other side of the room, clutching the mantel. "Is that what you want?" he asked, keeping all emotion out of his words.

She stared at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "No," she replied. He moved away from the fireplace and sat down on the coffee table. "I can't lose my job though. I lose my job, I lose my flat and my only way of supporting us. I have to put Rose first."

"We can still be together," he insisted. "I can take care of you and Rose. There's plenty of room here for the two of you."

Hermione shook her head. "We can't do that," she replied. "I can't uproot her for however long it takes to find another job."

"Then we don't make this temporary," he suggested. "Move in with us. We can be a real family. I can help with Rose more. This can work, Hermione. We can make it work."

"And if we can't?" she wondered. "We've been together for two months, Draco. And before this, our relationship consisted only of sex in motel rooms while we were with other people. You don't know that this can work."

He reached for her hands. "We're different people now," he replied. "We both know we can't rush into something just because it feels good. Rose and Scorpius come first. But I think this can work. I think it's the best thing for all of us. I'm completely committed to you, Hermione. I want us to be together. I want the four of us to be a family. Can you honestly tell me you don't want that?"

"I just don't want you to feel like you have to take care of us," she said, not denying his claim that she too wanted them to be a family. "I raised Rose on my own for five years. I got used to independence."

"I won't take that away from you," he assured her with her a gentle squeeze of her hands. "Just let me help."

Closing her eyes, she nodded. "Okay," she whispered.

He gave her hands a tug, guiding her to her feet, and soon his arms were around her. "We'll be okay," he murmured. "You and Rose will both be okay. Scor told me about the fight, about what really happened. Your boss seemed to forget the fact that Rose was pushed first, and more than once, by that kid. I'm so proud of him for standing up for her."

Hermione glanced up at him and smiled. "Rose does the same thing," she told him. "I have...had one girl in class who had a habit of taking the other kids' belongings. One day she took Scor's crayons. Rose marched up to her, grabbed them from her, and told her that no one steals from her brother."

"I think we got lucky," he commented. "It would have been hell if they didn't get along."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner about her," Hermione said. "It's my fault that you missed out on so much."

He leaned down and kissed her. "It's okay. I'm here now," he told her. "I'm not going anywhere. We can be together. That's really all that matters to me now."

"What happens now?" she wondered.

He shrugged and tightened his hold on her. "We tell the kids, we move you and Rose in, we...bake cookies," he said. "Sorry, we don't have to do that last one. Christmas is coming and it just seemed like something we should do."

"Plus you didn't want to freak me out by saying that we get married," she guessed with an amused smile on her face.

His arms slackened and he pulled back just enough to read her expression. "Is that something you'd want?" he asked.

"I can't say I haven't thought about it," she replied.

He tried to contain a smile. "Good thoughts?"

She flashed a quick smile. "Very good thoughts," she assured him. "The kind that include name changes. I want Rose to really be a Malfoy. She should have your last name."

"She will," he promised. "And so will you."

"_Are_ you proposing?" she wondered.

Draco shrugged. "What if I am?" he asked. "What would you say?"

She took a moment to think about it. Marriage seemed practical. It eliminated the need to coordinate when Draco could see Rose. He could help out financially. He could be there when she couldn't. And then her heart chimed in. Six years ago, she had told herself she wasn't in love with Draco Malfoy. But that had been a lie. Had he asked back then, she gladly would have left Ron for him. Now he was hers, and a second chance was just a heartbeat away.

"I would say yes," she stated.

"Good to know," he replied, pulling away from her. "Should we go tell the kids that you're moving in? Scor's gonna be thrilled. I figure, for now at least, he and Rosie can share his room. I'll get to work on fixing up the guest bedroom for her. You, of course, can share my room. Maybe we'll get bunk beds."

He took the stairs two at a time with Hermione following behind him. They reached the second floor and Draco stopped. She peered around him to find the kids looking guilty. "Hi, Daddy," Scorpius greeted him. "We weren't listening to you and Miss Mini. I promise. But why didn't you say to her to marry you?"

Draco chuckled. "I thought the two of you weren't eavesdropping," he replied.

"He's needs a ring," Rose said, ignoring her parents' presence. "He can't marry her without a ring."

"Daddy, when Miss Mini lives here, will she be my mummy?" Scorpius asked.

"Mummy, if you don't work at school anymore, do I still have to go?" Rose inquired.

Draco held up his hands to silence them. "There are a lot of things that we need to discuss, and we thought we had done that in private," he stated. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Rose alone for a minute."

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, getting to her feet.

Shaking his head, he took her hand and led her into the guest bedroom. "I know Scor wants your mum and me to get married, but I'm not so sure if you do. I need to know that you're okay with the changes we were talking about before we put anything into effect."

Rose took a seat on the bed. "You love me and Mummy, right, Daddy?" she asked.

"I love the two of you so much," he promised. "And I think I might be a little selfish because I want to have the both of you around all the time."

She surveyed the room, took a deep breath, and looked at him. "Do you have a ring?" she asked him. Draco smiled and nodded. "I think you and Mummy should get married and we can all live here together. And I think there was something about cookies?"

Draco chuckled and picked her up. "So, I can propose to Mummy?" he asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. "This makes me happy, Daddy," she told him, kissing his cheek.


	19. Chapter 19

I wanted to post this chapter for Christmas, and I just finished writing it! I hope everyone has a great holiday and that Santa brings you everything you asked for!

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Chapter 19  
The kids awoke excitedly on Christmas morning. It had been Scorpius's idea to sneak into the master bedroom where their parents still slept. It had become something of a habit for the little boy over the years. Early each morning, before the sun rose, he would slip into his father's bed and get a couple more hours of sleep. When the Grangers moved in three weeks earlier, he stopped. Concerned, Draco mentioned it to Hermione.

One afternoon while making lunch, she casually mentioned to Scorpius that she missed the days when Rose would cuddle with her in the morning. When she turned five, she decided she was too old for such an activity. She tried to sound as pathetic as she could in hopes of enticing Scorpius to resume his morning routine.

"I can cuddle with you," he offered, accepting the sandwich she had made for him.

She smiled at him. "Would you?" she asked. He nodded and received a kiss on the cheek in return.

The bed dipped as two little bodies crawled up from the end. Hermione cracked open one eye as Scorpius snuggled between her and Draco and Rose laid on her other side. "Merry Christmas," she whispered to them, turning her head to look at her daughter. "Did Santa come yet?"

Scorpius nodded excitedly. "Can we wake up Daddy so we can open presents?" he asked.

"Let's let him sleep a little bit longer," she decided. "He was really excited about Santa coming and had trouble falling asleep last night."

Turning onto her back, she looped an arm around each child. Beside her, Rose closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. "I know what Daddy got you," Scorpius said. "He showed it to Rosie and me. I think it's the kind of present Santa can't bring you. Can I tell you what it is?"

Hermione laughed softly. "You don't want to ruin Daddy's surprise, do you?" she replied. Scorpius shook his head, ruffling his blond hair against her arm. "It must be very exciting though if Santa couldn't give it to me."

"It is," he said, his excitement getting the better of him.

"Ow," Draco groaned as his son's flailing arm smacked him in the back. He turned over and glared at the wide awake pair. "Is your sister still asleep?"

Hermione glanced to her other side. "Still asleep," she confirmed.

He closed his eyes and yawned. "That's the example we should all be following," he mumbled.

"Go back to sleep," she suggested. "Scor and I can go downstairs and start on breakfast."

Scorpius opened his mouth to protest, but Draco sat up. "No, I'm awake now," he groused. "Besides, we always do presents before breakfast. We'll let Rose sleep a little longer. If I know my son, he kept her up most of the night with his attempts to sneak downstairs. Probably harangued her into going with him."

Hermione nodded. "Good thing I set up those wards around the living room to prevent them from peeking," she replied. "Your daughter has been sneaking out of her room in hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa since she was two."

Chuckling, he got out of bed. "Oh, so when she does something you don't like she's _my_ daughter?" he inquired, slipping his cold, bare feet into a pair of warm slippers.

"Um, she's your daughter no matter what she does," she pointed out, easing her arm from under Rose's head. "At least she's stopped trying to guess what each gift is before she opens it."

Scorpius, now in his father's arms, grinned. "I do that," he announced. "And I always get it right. Daddy said it's because I'm magic."

Climbing out of bed, she kissed his cheek. "My favorite little wizard," she murmured. After pulling the blankets over Rose to keep her warm, she followed Draco to the first floor. Mountains of gift-wrapped presents surrounded the Christmas tree, and she saw Scorpius's eyes widen with excitement. "I reckon you and Rosie were very good this year. Look at all of this!"

"That's all for us?" he asked.

Draco stepped closer. "Looks like," he replied. "I don't see anything with Miss Mini's or my name on it."

The little boy's smile drooped as he looked back and forth between the adults. "Is that because you were naughty this year?" he asked.

"Nah," Draco replied. "It's because when Miss Mini and I wrote our letters to Santa, we both asked him to bring presents for you and your sister."

"Wow," Scorpius said in awe. "Do you think Grandmum did that too? There's so many."

Draco set him down on his feet when he spotted Rose descending the stairs. "I think so, buddy," he replied. He moved to the staircase and picked her up. "Happy Christmas, sweetheart."

"Sleepy, Daddy," she mumbled, tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

He carried her to the sofa and sat down. "Would you be willing to wake up for presents?" he asked. She nodded halfheartedly until she was handed a gift. Perking up, she joined Scorpius on the floor and the two tore into the presents. "Works every time," he mused.

Within an hour, all but one gift had been opened. Scorpius crawled beneath the tree to retrieve a small box wrapped in red and gold paper. "It doesn't have a name, Daddy," he said, handing it to his father.

"Oh?" he asked. "Strange. Well, we'll figure out who this belongs to after breakfast. Grandmum should be here any minute. Could you move some of your gifts under the tree so she has a place to walk?"

Hermione rose from her spot on the couch, promising to return shortly, and jogged up the stairs. She returned moments later with two manila envelopes in hand. "Gift for your mum," she stated, setting them down on the coffee table.

When she left the room for the kitchen, Draco resisted the urge to peek. It was Rose, with her penetrating gaze, who stopped him. "You know what's in here?" he asked her. The little girl shrugged and returned to her new toys.

"Mummy's gonna get mad if you open those," she warned him.

"I'm not gonna open them," he promised. But when she turned away, he reached for one of them. The flames in the hearth turned green and his mother stepped out. He dropped the envelope and stood to greet her.

Hermione appeared from the kitchen, surprisingly happy to see Narcissa. "I have something for you," she said, grabbing one of the envelopes from the coffee table. "Um, could we speak privately?"

Narcissa nodded, accepted the envelope, and followed her back to the kitchen. When they were alone, she opened the package and pulled out a document. "A paternity test?" she asked. "Does Draco know about this?"

"He does," she confirmed. "Ever since I told him about Rose, I've decided I don't want to keep things from him anymore. Even if the test hadn't been positive, he said he would still want to be Rose's father."

"He really does love her. She's all he talks about," Narcissa replied. "You understand why I was hesitant to believe you about her."

"I do," Hermione said. "I hope this puts your mind at ease. I listen to Scor talk about you all the time, and I really hope that someday Rose can be that close to you."

"I hope so too," Narcissa agreed.

Hermione smiled. "Would you mind sending Draco in?" she asked. "Tell him he can bring that other envelope."

The older witch nodded, and soon it was Draco who walked through the door. He said nothing as he opened the package. "Maybe I should have given you your gift first," he said with a hint of a smile. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a black, velvet box, the gift wrap now gone. Sinking to one knee, he opened the box to show her the diamond ring inside. "I never thought about getting married again until I ran into at the school. You and Rose and Scor are the most important people in my life. I want our family to be official. Will you marry me?"

Hermione sunk to her knees and kissed him. "Yes," she whispered, kissing him as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

He wiped the tears from her eyes. "Should we tell the kids the good news?" he asked. Then he held up the papers. "And the other good news."

"So, I can adopt Scor?" she asked.

"Absolutely."


	20. Epilogue

Welcome to the end. Thank you all so much for reading my story! The chapter is a bit fluffy, but I wouldn't be me without a bit of fluff.

* * *

Epilogue  
_Two Years Later_

"Mummy, what if Santa can't come because Ava won't sleep?" Scorpius asked.

Hermione smiled softly and glanced from her son to the baby asleep in her arms. "Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about," she promised.

The little boy's lower lip began to quiver. "But...but you and Daddy said that Santa can't come if all the kids aren't asleep," he argued. "And if Ava doesn't sleep that means he can't come. We're gonna miss Christmas!"

Ava stirred as Scorpius's voice rose. "Scor, I need you to keep your voice down," she whispered. "Please don't wake your sister."

"She's not my sister," he yelled. "And you're not my mum. I wish you never brought that stupid baby home!"

With Rose on his heels, Draco ran into the living room. "Hey, what's going on?" he demanded. "Why are you yelling at your mother?"

"It's her fault Santa's not coming," he cried. Then he ran up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door shut.

Draco crossed to the sofa and took Ava from his wife's arms. "What's gotten into him?" he wondered as he tried to soothe the baby.

Sighing, she shook her head. "Why don't you calm her down and put her to bed. I'll talk to Scor," she suggested, leaving before he could reply. Taking the stairs two at a time, she entered the first door on the left and shut it behind her. "Can we talk?" she asked, taking a seat at the foot of his bed. Scorpius curled into a ball and continued to stare at the wall, tears staining his red, round cheeks. "I kind of had a feeling this might be a one-sided conversation. Did I ever tell you that from the time I was little, about the same age that you are now, I always wanted a son? All of my baby dolls were boys, even though they were really girls. The first bit of magic I ever did was change the pink clothes to blue. I love my daughters, but I always hoped I'd have a little boy."

Scorpius sat up and sniffled.

But he said nothing.

So Hermione kept talking. "You have no idea how happy I was when your daddy said I could adopt you," she said. "I really wanted to be your mum long before Daddy and I became a couple. I'm sorry that you don't feel like I could be your mum."

"But Rosie and Ava are yours _and_ Daddy's," he said softly. "I'm only Daddy's."

Hermione smiled. "But that's the good thing about adoption," she replied. "I picked you. I got to choose my son, and I think I got the best one I could ever hope for. There is nothing I love more than being your mum."

He moved down the bed and crawled onto her lap. "Is Daddy mad at me?" he asked.

Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed the top of his head. "Let me handle Daddy," she replied. "Now, about Santa. You know how Daddy and I write letters to him too? I was worried that he might pass over our house if Ava was awake, but he told me that he makes special allowances for families with little babies."

Glancing up at her with wide, excited eyes, he asked, "You got a letter from Santa? Can I see it?"

Smiling, she shook her head. "Sorry, Santa said not to share it with anyone."

He settled back into her arms. "Will he still come?" he wondered. "Even though I was bad?"

"I think he knows what a good boy you are," she said. "One little fight doesn't change that."

"Will you still be my mummy?" he asked.

"Forever and ever and ever," she promised. "Now, get dressed for bed or Santa might have to change his mind about coming here."

He quickly scurried off her lap to change into his pajamas. Promising that she would be back soon, she left him to his dressing and returned to the living room to find Draco alone. "Ava's asleep and Rose is getting ready for bed," he reported as he stared at the roaring fire in the hearth.

"Don't be mad at him," she said, taking a seat beside her husband.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest when she attempted to reach for his hand. "Don't be so lenient with him," he retorted. "You signed those adoption papers two years ago. He wanted this. He begged me to figure out how to make you his mother. And then, what? He gets mad because you ask him to do something, and you just let him tell you that you aren't the parent here? Even if you hadn't wanted to adopt him, that doesn't make you any less of an authority figure. Don't kowtow to his ridiculous behavior because you...I don't know...feel like you're not his mother or something."

"It's not that," she murmured, getting to her feet. "And we have prying ears here."

He followed her to the kitchen and sat down at the table. She took the seat across from him and folded her hands on top of the table. "Okay, so what is it?" he asked, striving to sound more patient.

She released a deep breath and averted her gaze. "Sometimes, I feel like you pay more attention to the girls than you do Scor," she stated. Draco scoffed. "You let Rose get away with everything. She took his train last week because she didn't like that he wasn't playing with her, and you yelled at him for ignoring his sister. No matter that she took something he loves. And that's not the first time it's happened either. I can think of dozens of times when she's done something wrong and you blamed Scorpius for it."

"Did you say anything to her?" he asked quietly, feeling guilty for his behavior. Hermione nodded, letting him know that she had disciplined their daughter. "You told her she had to help me clean up after dinner every night this week?"

Hermione chuckled. "She hates drying dishes," was all she said on the matter.

"I didn't realize I was doing that," he admitted. "Sometimes I still feel like I'm walking on eggshells with Rose. Do you remember that time she slapped Scor upside the head during dinner and I sent her to her room without dessert? She didn't speak to me for two weeks. With Scor, I could punish him and I knew he'd talk to me again in a matter of hours."

"Sorry I passed along the ability to hold a grudge to our daughter," Hermione replied. "If it's any consolation, at least we both know that growing up seemed to help me overcome that. You gave me better reasons to dislike you too."

He nodded in agreement. "Lucky for you, I outgrew it too," he said with a smile. Holding out his hand, she slipped her own in his from across the table. "Ever find it hard to believe that this is our life? Like if you had a time turner and went back to when we were kids, the old us would have laughed in our faces."

"That's only if we didn't all implode from meeting our former selves," she pointed out. "I mean, yeah, it's strange to think about sometimes. But other times, like when Ava sleeps more than two hours at a time or when Rose and Scor are getting along, that this seems so right. I've never been happier than I've been these last two years. That's because of you, Draco. I never would have had Rose or Ava or Scor without you."

With a tug on her hand, he silently asked her to join him. Now settled on his lap, he kissed her tenderly. "I love you," he whispered. It was something he made sure to tell her everyday of their eighteen month marriage. Never had he heard his own parents exchange those three simple words, and he always vowed to live his life differently.

She smiled against his lips. "I had a feeling you did," she replied. "Come on. Let's go put the kids to bed so Santa can come."

The End


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